Persona 4: Face Every Shadow
by Casey W
Summary: "Welcome to the Velvet Room. Your predecessor held the power of the Universe. Where will the power of the Wild Card take you, I wonder." Persona 4 followup to SamJaz' Fairly English Story.
1. A Not So Fateful Encounter

March 3 2010

Another day, another different school I have to attend. Well, I suppose 'day' is a bit of an exaggeration. Two months is much longer than a day. Oh well. I guess it was nice of the others to invite me along even though they know I'll only be attending for the first two months. I have good friends. I always make good friends wherever I go.

And then I always have to leave them.

...Why is that blue-haired guy staring at me?

"Excuse me ladies," the creepy dude began as he walked towards us, "But I really need to steal this fine young man from you for a few minutes." He dragged me by the arm away from everyone. I shot them a pleading look but they just shrugged in response.

...I take back what I said about them being good friends.

* * *

"Alright. What's this about?"

"Just wanted to talk to you for a second." he told me. Turns out he dragged me into what looked like the school's chemistry lab. "What's your poison?"

"I-What?"

"Ah, right. You probably don't drink yet. Well that's pretty good since you're underage but I really need a drink."

So I can assume that's alcohol that he's pulling out of that cabinet then. Good to know he's more delinquent than psychopath, at least. "Won't you get in trouble?"

He started pouring various bottles into two beakers. "Well if I get caught, then it's my own bloody fault for offering drinks to a minor." _Bloody? I know alcohol is pretty much a big 'no' but just how strict is this school?_ "Name's Minato Arisoto, by the way."

"Seta Souji." _CRAP! Why did I just say that? Damn my good manners!_

"Well since I know your name I can drag you down with me if I get caught." _DAMMIT_! "Cheers" he said as he passed me my 'drink'.

"Cheers" I replied, taking a sip from the beaker...

…only to spit it out again. "What the hell! What kind of drink is that?"

"I have no bloody idea." _There's that 'bloody' again. Maybe its a verbal tic?_ "Ryoji was the one who knew his way around a bar."

"Well where is he?"

"He died. Want another drink?"

Wow. That's some impressive nonchalance about death. Either this guy deals with it a lot or he's seen it up close. I mean him and this 'Ryoji' must have been close to have set up this secret liquor cabinet and it must have been kind of recent since its still here (and barely touched, by the looks of it). To be so... indifferent about it... I don't envy him.

I passed him the beaker and he started mixing another drink. Then he started philosophising. "You know, alcohol is a funny thing. It makes people more open, less in control of themselves. It makes some men violent, some men loving. It can turn a genius into the biggest idiot, yet give a man who's hit rock bottom inspiration for a revolutionary breakthrough. A good drink can unite and reunite old friendships, but you know the most important thing you need to remember about alcohol?" he asked me.

I picked up the drink he passed to me. "It's poison."

He nodded. "The wrong drink at the wrong time can ruin someone's life forever. Yet the right drink at the right time with the right words can save a thousand souls."

"So it's a medicine too?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"All medicines are poison if not used right." I told him. "Overdose on this particular medicine and your body starts to kill itself in shame because you prefer the sweet embrace of drunk obliviousness to the ugliness and the beauty of the real world."

I started to chuckle as I realised "You've been reading Bartender, haven't you?"

He just smiled at me. "My friend was like that Ryu guy." _Is this Ryoji again or someone else?_ "He liked to help people. He often had to hurt people to help them though. He was both medicine and poison, really."

"So, you just grabbed a random kid and dragged him for a drink?" _No. He was staring at me for a while. He picked me for a reason. Damned if I know what it was though._

I was expecting another vague philosophical tangent. What I got was... weirder. "No, I'm telling you this because I know people like you. The whole world is yours for the taking, and you know it. You're like the cocktail in your hand." he told me, pointing at the clear liquid in my beaker. "Right now, your future isn't set, but you have the choice. You can either become someone's medicine or someone's poison." He added a squirt of whiskey to his drink turning it a dark red. "Don't become poison." he warned me as the symbolism started to click in my head. "Trust me here, there's so much happiness in helping others. Don't become the kind of drink that'll kill a man."

"What kind of drink are you?" I asked.

He appeared to be considering my question as he finished his drink. "A cocktail." was the answer he came up with. "Molotov."

...Okay, he just compared himself to a bomb. This would be the ideal moment for me to run away very very fast. On the other hand, I'm an idiot. Thus, help him clean up then wander off to find my friends.

...Stupid manners.

* * *

"Hey, where were you? We were getting worried." Keiko asked when I finally found her after wandering around aimlessly for 20 minutes. I'd have asked Mr Molotov for directions to the next spot on the tour but I couldn't shake the worry he would demonstrate the similarity between him and his favourite deadly concoction.

I responded "Next time maybe you could, I dunno, not let the crazy guy kidnap me? It might help."

"Yeah, well he was cute and I didn't want to seem rude, Seta-kun."

I sighed. "Let's just carry on with the tour please? Kind of just want to put that whole thing behind me." Mostly because I still have no idea what he was talking about. Keiko just shrugged slightly and kept moving, leaving me to dwell on creepy dude's words.

He knows people like me? Like me how? Maybe I should've asked him... NO. No no. Asking more questions in that situation would definitely have been a bad idea. Still, he obviously knew something he wasn't willing to share. If that's the case then it's something I'm gonna find out about later.

Just hope I don't end up as crazy as that guy 'cos... damn.

* * *

Hello and welcome to my Persona 4 fic. Well I say 'my'. Anyone who read SamJaz's Persona 3 fic "Fairly English Story has probably already noticed the startling similarities between this chapter and a certain sequence in chapter 107 of that story. Furthermore, you can probably gather that the fanficcy twist in this story will be that I'm following SamJaz's interpretation of events.

Yes, he said it's okay.

No, I doubt this will be as awesome as FES was.

Yes, I'm going to try anyway.

No, there will be no spoilers for the FES sequel (as if he'd give me details on that)

I hope you enjoy this because I'm gonna do my damnedest to make this as good as it can be. To that end, brutal honesty in reviews please. And if possible, **constructive** brutal honesty.

Thanks for reading!


	2. A Very Definitely Fateful Encounter

Hey, folks! I'm back! With a chapter! Aren't you glad?

Reviews!

**Eggmiester**: The chapters will get longer as I go on, I assure you. Just trying to get a good rhythm going right now. As for doing what I want to do... I have ideas, trust me.

**Firing Silence**: This is not Persona 4 as you know it. If you read Fairly English Story you'll know that the events of both games (in fact, the events of most MegaTen games) were drastically changed. So not only will those changes take hold in this story, I intend to add quite a few of my own. Sadly, first few chapters have to be exposition since nothing makes sense without it. But once we get into the real deal, expect things to go down quite a bit differently.

**DrTempo**: Thanks for not putting any pressure on me. Much appreciated. Heh. Nah, I kid. Thanks for the support.

Now before we get down to it, I have to introduce my beta. Say hello to Dhaos9127. He is now officially the one to blame if my story sucks.

Beta says: … I can't think of anything.

Figures. Oh well. On with the story! First real chapter GOOOOO!

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* * *

April 11 2011

_\_"_I'm tired of diets, enough with going to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!"__\_

Ahhh, Risette. One day you will be mine and we'll have billions of babies together. And I'll get rich and we'll move into a big mansion and HOLY CRAP THAT'S MY TRAIN!

I guess this would be a perfect time to see whether that month on the track team paid off. I ran full on to the doors praying silently to whoever was listening to help me make it and . . . Safe!... And in significant pain!

Okay. Potentially cracked skull aside, probably a good thing that the doors on the opposite side of the train stay closed. Now to find a place to sit down so the train can stop spinning.

I chose the nearest empty seat I could find and took a minute to breathe before e-mailing my uncle to let him know when I'd be arriving. I'll be staying at his house for this school year and as the only person I 'know' in my new town it's his job to welcome me when I get there.

Now, head injuries. You're supposed to stay awake, right? Okay. Time to people watch to keep me occupied.

Behind me, family of four. Lots of luggage. Going on vacation? Or coming back, I suppose.

To my left, guy in a suit. Clearly a businessman. Expression says this isn't a trip that will be filled with smiles and handshakes. I'd almost feel sorry for him but he chose that life. Probably. Wish I was better at this.

And opposite me... that... that is a _huge_ nose. I mean his hands are clasped under that thing and his nose _goes past them. _Is that even possible? And... when did the train car get smaller and turn blue?

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." said nose-man in an inviting tone.

_Oh crap._ I'm hallucinating and seeing pimped out limousines! Someone call a doctor! Wait... if I'm hallucinating, would I _know_ I was hallucinating?... Oh well. As dad would say, 'just because you're hallucinating doesn't mean you can't be polite'.

Well, not in those _exact_ words but "...Thank you. It's a... nice place you have here?"

Nose-man didn't seem to be listening to me. He just chuckled to himself. "It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Igor, eh? That's... actually not that surprising given his appearance. "Seta Souji. Nice to meet you too."

Igor actually acknowledged me this time with a nod. "Allow me to explain. This place exists between dream and reality. Mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you in the future." Are hallucinations usually this... confusing? "Now let's take a look into that future, shall we?"

And a pack of cards just appeared out of nowhere. I figure it's best to just roll with it at this point. "Do you believe in fortune telling?" he asked me. Now for the most part I'm not too close-minded about the supernatural. Some things we just can't know, right? But the idea of predicting the future just makes me... uncomfortable.

"No." I answered. "Predicting the future implies everything that happens was always going to happen and we have no control. And if we have no control then we have no purpose. We're just going through the motions."

Now _that_ is an unnerving grin. "Indeed. However, by predicting enough variables you can expect events to follow certain paths, yes? Still, let's see what the cards say of your future. There is no harm in it, after all."

He waved his hand over the deck and 6 cards spread over the table in front of him. He turned the first over. "Ah, the tower in the upright position. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent." He turned over the next, ignoring my rolling eyes. Not like he could blame me for my skepticism. He may as well have said 'Youuu areeee in graaaave daaaaaanger! OoooOOOOOoooh!'

"The Moon in the upright position. This card represents hesitation and mystery. Very interesting indeed!" If you say so, boss. "It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days you will enter into a contract of some sort. After which, you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If the mystery goes unsolved your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

He waved his hand and the cards on the table vanished. I should just let them talk. Not like they're paying much attention to what I say anyway.

Wait, them? "And she is...?" I said, indicating the young woman to Igor's left.

"Ah, I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place like myself."

"I am here to accompany you through your journey." She's the quiet type I guess. That's the first thing she's said since this whole acid-trip started.

Igor continued "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell."

* * *

I blinked and suddenly I'm back on the train. Quick look around. No one giving me weird looks so I guess that conversation was just in my head. So... a dream then? Not a hallucination? That's a relief.

I checked my phone. Looks like I've only been out for 20 minutes. My uncle responded though, telling me they'll meet me outside of Yasoinaba station. I guess he's bringing his daughter with him.

"Hey, over here!" I heard as I came out of the train station. Looking around I only saw two people around so I guess that man would be my uncle calling me over.

The man continued as I walked over. "Well, you're more handsome in person than in your photo."

…

...Please say you're my uncle. And also that you didn't mean for that to sound so creepy.

Turns out that yes, Dojima is my uncle and the little girl is his daughter Nanako (and thus, my cousin). Dojima seems friendly enough but I think Nanako is a little bit shy. She keeps hiding behind her dad.

After introductions we all got in the car to head for the Dojima's house. I suppose I should start calling it 'home' since that's what it will be for this year. At least this time I'll be able to stay in one place for the full school year, start to finish. It's rare that I end a school year in the same place I started it.

On the way 'home' we stopped off at the gas station and I got an introduction to what people are like in small towns. Friendly, it turns out. The attendant practically offered me a job then and there. I'm really starting to feel a bit woozy though. Sooner we get to the house, the better.

* * *

We arrived at the house within a few minutes. Seems like everything in this town is within walking distance which is a nice change of pace (and a nice relief for my wallet). Almost as soon as we got in we sat down to dinner. Dojima was quick to start a conversation. "So your mom and dad are busy as always. Working overseas, was it?"

"Yep." I responded "Again."

He sighed. "I know it's only for a year but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents? It's rough being a kid."

I decided on being candid with him. We're family after all. "I don't know. I've certainly stayed in less pleasant places. And at least this time I'm with family, right? Thank you for letting me stay here."

"Well it's just me and Nanako here so it'll be nice having someone like you around. Like you said, we're family. So make yourself at home."

"I'll do that." I replied, returning his warm smile.

"Well anyway, let's eat." Dojima said, ending the conversation there. Right before his phone rang. "Ugh. Who's calling at this hour?"

It seems whatever the phone call was about, it was urgent. Dojima left without even touching his food, asking Nanako to help me get settled in (and bring in the laundry?). Thus, I'm left alone with Nanako, who turns the TV on to drown out the awkward, deafening silence.

…

…

Okay. This is ridiculous. _Any_thing we talk about has to be more interesting than a weather report. Errrr "So, what does your dad do?" Yeah, that works.

"He investigates crimes and stuff."

"Like Batman?"

"No, he's a detective."

"Batman's a detective."

She giggled a bit. Success! I got her to laugh! "No. he's a _police_ detective."

Okay. Ice officially broken. Keep the conversation going and we're golden. "So is that where he just-" My question was interrupted by the news. Some scandal about a singer or something. I was only paying attention to the fact that it interrupted what might have been the first step in getting her to stop being so nervous around me.

"This is boring." You're not wrong. Mercifully she changed the channel.

_\_"At Junes, every day is customer appreciation day! Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!"_\_

_\__Every day's great at your Ju-nes!__\_

"_Every day's great at your Ju-nes_!" Nanako sang along with the jingle.

And it was one of the most adorable things I've ever seen! With the waving of the hands and everything! It could be weaponised with how cute that was.

Nanako looked at me and I realised I'd been staring at her with a big, goofy grin on my face. "... Aren't you going to eat?" She asked, all joy from ten seconds ago gone.

Unfortunately, the weird feeling I'd been having all afternoon hadn't passed yet and was destroying my appetite. I only managed to finish half before retreating to my box-filled room. Hopefully it'll pass once I've gotten some rest. I practically dived onto my futon and was out within seconds.

Here's hoping tomorrow is less stressful.


	3. Dreams and Dentistry

Okay. Where the hell am I? Somehow I get the impression I'm not in Inaba anymore. Might be the odd, red-brick road or the fact I can't see three feet in front of me through all of this fog. One thing is for certain though. Standing around doing nothing won't get me anywhere. Only one path. Might as well walk it.

And walk it I do. You know, this place just seems lovely. I'd be tempted to buy a home here if there were a guarantee I'd be able to find it. I bet there's some impressive fog-front properties availa-wah!

Sooo path is, in fact, _not_ a straight line. And either side is a fall of... indeterminate height. Paying more attention now, yes sir!

"Do you seek the truth?"

Ah. A spooky disembodied voice. Just what I needed. "What truth?" I asked the whatever-it-was.

No answer. Figures.

"Hm hmm hm-hm hm hmmm hm, hm hmmmm hm hm-hm hm." I hummed to myself as I continued walking forward.

"If it's truth you desire, come and find me."

Sigh. "Why don't you come to me instead?", I asked the voice that was beginning to piss me off. "I still have no idea what it is you're talking about."

No answer. Again. And again, it figures.

Screw it. I keep walking. I mean there's still no other options, save jumping into the abyss. And I really have an urge to punch this voice in the face.

Eventually, I reach the end. And by 'the end' I mean a wall. A very stylish wall made up of concentric squares but that doesn't change the fact that it's in my way. I put my hand on it and push a bit to see if I can get it to move a little.

...Okay. That was trippy. Squares spinning and retracting to make an opening? I have to admit it's a pretty sweet door design.

…

… And now I'm somewhere else and have a sword. Makes sense.

"So you are the one pursuing me." YOU! "Hmhmhmhm. Try all you like."

"Damn right I will! Now I can finally get you to stop talking at me!" I run at the only other presence in the 'room' and swing the sword I'm holding with both hands. It connected but... didn't seem to do much. Knew I should've taken kendo.

"Hmmmm. It seems that you can see a little, despite the fog."

"That's your fault too? Ohhh, I'm going to enjoy this." I swing again and connect again. Still, almost completely ineffective though. What is this guy? I know I'm not exactly skilled at fighting but I'm swinging a large mass of metal at him. Surely that should get some sort of reaction.

"But you will not catch me so easily. If what you seek is truth then your search will be even harder."

He did... something. Whatever it was, it made the fog even thicker. I didn't even think that would be possible. I can only guess where he is now.

"Everyone sees what they want to and the fog only deepens."

Okay. I am officially sick of this crap. I take a run at where he was when I could see him and swing at him once more with everything I can muster.

… Not only did I miss the target, my momentum caused me to lose balance and I fell flat on my back.

"Will we meet again in a place other than here? I look forward to it."

I attempt to respond but a sudden sinking feeling stops me before I can. My body feels heavy... Maybe it would be better to... rest here for a while...

I woke up to the sound of Nanako's voice calling me down for breakfast. Damn. Forgot I start school straight away this time. No day of settling in for me. No dizziness anymore though. Small mercy. Maybe that means no more dreams of crazy fog people and... something... What was that dream about anyway? Meh. 'S probably not important

I searched through the many boxes in my room trying to find my new school's uniform. Also known as the most badass outfit I own. I mean who designed these things? Whoever it was I will find them and hug them for making me look so damn cool.

Fully dressed and ready, I headed down to breakfast (after only a couple minutes of posing in front of a mirror. I do have _some_ restraint, after all) where Nanako was waiting for me with a joyful "Good morning!"

"Morning!" I smiled and sat down at the table where a plate of egg, bacon and toast was waiting for me (sweet!).

"Let's eat!" Nanako beamed a smile at me. She's clearly a morning person. Something we have in common.

"So you do the cooking?" I didn't see Dojima anywhere so it seemed a fair assumption. He must've already gone to work.

"I can toast bread and cook sunny-side up eggs in the morning." And bacon, apparently. "Dad can't cook so I buy dinner." Seriously? Wow. It's a little scary how independent this girl is. I took a bite from my bacon. Bacon bacon bacon bacon ba-...

...She was right about omitting bacon from her comment. "Mm. I see. Was a good try with the bacon though. It's just a bit undercooked." Really undercooked, in truth but I'm trying to be encouraging here. "Thing about bacon is you can practically burn it and you'll still find people who'll enjoy it. As long as it hasn't completely turned black you're probably fine." Hell, I'll eat it even then. Bacon is awesome.

She seemed skeptical of my advice. Not surprising really. I just told her it's okay to burn food after all. "You start school today right?" Hmph. Subject change. One day she will learn the truth of bacon's power. "My school's on the way so... let's go together!"

After finishing up our breakfasts we headed out. While we were walking I decided to check the GPS map on my phone. Pretty much the only upside of my parents never being around is that whenever they do show up they bring an expensive gift. Last time it was a top-of-the-line phone.

I was right about everything being within walking distance in this town. My new school, Yasogami High, is clear across town and still less than 20 minutes away by foot. Makes me wonder why Dojima even has a car.

About 5 minutes away from the school Nanako waved goodbye and went off in the direction of her own school, pointing me in the direction of Yasogami in the process. Unnecessary but still very considerate of her.

As I got to the road the school was on some guy rode past me on a bike while also trying to hold onto his umbrella, screaming all the way... before slamming straight into a telegraph pole. I'd say it serves him right for trying to ride one-handed when he clearly can't but no one deserves an injury... there. Ouch.

As I reached the school I came to a startling realisation. No one at this school... has any sense of style.

It's ridiculous! The school gives the guys this sweet uniform design and every single one of them (besides me, of course) wears the jacket closed. It's like they're all _trying_ to look bland and uninteresting. Ugh.

Anyway, the school itself doesn't look too bad. I've definitely seen far worse. As soon as I walked in I started looking for the faculty office. The teacher who handled my transfer here told me to make sure I introduce myself to my homeroom teacher, Mr Morooka, before heading to class. Seems fair enough. Ah, found it. Now, need to make a good first impression. Must not get on his bad side. I opened the door.

TEETH!

...Now that is an angry glare. Oh, crap! How long have I been staring at his teeth? Recover, man! Recover! "Morooka-sensei? My name is Seta Souji. I'm a transfer student joining your class... for... this year?" Oh, god please stop glaring at me.

"Yeah, I read your file, kid. Gotta say I'm glad a city brat like you is only staying here for a year. Now follow me. I'll introduce ya to the rest of the delinquents."

That could've gone better. Maybe. Nah, I think I was doomed from the start on this one.

I dutifully followed Morooka into the classroom and stood next to him at the front of the class.

"Awright, shut your traps!" Yep. I was right. This guy is just pissed at everybody. "I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward. First things first! Just because it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons!" Dude, what? "Long as I'm around you students are gonna be pure as the driven snow." And now I'm officially _glad _I'm not on this guy's good side.

"Now I hate wasting my time but I'd better introduce this transfer student. This sad-sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage." He really has a way with words. "And he's just as much of a loser here as he was there so you girls better not get any ideas about hitting on him." I winked at the class. That got me a smile from a couple of girls. Nice. "Tell 'em your name, kid and make it quick."

...So to him I'm a waste of time, a 'sad-sack' (what does that even mean?), garbage and a loser. Don't know whether I'm any of those but I do know I don't take insults without giving anything back.

"I'm Seta Souji. And I'd like to thank you, Morooka-sensei for teaching me to appreciate my dentist." That drew a gasp from most of the class. Morooka looked like he was trying not to punch me in the face.

… Good for him. He managed not to. I'm honestly impressed. I would've punched me for saying that. "... You're on my shit list, effective immediately."

Then he got back to lecturing about the poor character of 'kids today'. I'm pretty sure he prepared it so technically not my fault. Eventually someone had the good sense to interrupt Morooka's ranting. A girl in green with a bowl-cut that was actually kind of cute considering... ya know... bowl-cut. Now that I think about it though, how does she get away with the green? Mysteries of the universe, I guess.

"Excuse me. Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?" Badass outfit and a rebellious attitude. Works every time.

"Huh?", he replied, seeming to have lost his train of thought. "Yeah, sure. You hear that? Your seat's over there so hurry up and siddown already!"

As I got to my seat, green leaned over to me. "He's the worst, huh? Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class. Well, we'll just have to hang in there for a year." She's not wrong. I've only had one teacher who was even close to being as bad as Morooka. Was a very different kind of bad though. More disturbing than infuriating.

As the class started to settle I could pick out a few voices talking about me. Mostly sympathy. And it seems my back-talk impressed one or two people. Others just thought it was suicidal.

After a couple of minutes, Morooka took back control of the classroom. Several hours later I almost wept with joy at the fact that this hellish ordeal was finally ending.

A/N: Oh, Seta. You have no idea of what's to come.

So sorry it took so long to get this chapter done. Combination of a belated birthday celebration (mine) and two weddings took up a significant portion of time and energy away from writing. Plus I wasn't sure whether to include a detailed description of the dream or not. I figured either I could have it written as Seta's perspective as the dream happened or his perspective as it would be after he woke up (hazy with next to no detail).

I went with the former. I'd already written it when I thought of the hazy recollection idea and it seemed to have come out okay.

Next chapter will take nowhere near as long to come out. I promise. I want to get past these intro chapters as badly as you guys.


	4. Meet the Team

"That's all for today. Normal lectures will start tomorrow." Morooka seemed even more eager to leave than I was. Too bad for him his hurried pace didn't get him gone before an announcement over the school PA stopped him, calling him for a staff meeting and telling students not to leave. Someone clearly wants me miserable and they're doing a good job keeping me that way.

Nevermind. Time to take the opportunity for a quick nap.

…

…

… Is that a siren? … Meh. Nothin' to do with me.

…

…

"Hey."

… Muh? … Nuh.

"Hey!"

. . . Mu-"OW! What the hell? Did you just kick me?"

"Hmhm! Sorry. Thought you were ignorin' me." I … may have been. No excuse to interrupt a perfectly good nap though. Mean. "Did you miss the announcement? We can go now. If you're going home by yourself you can come with us instead if you want."

Lemme think about this. Walk home either on my own or with two pretty – wait … yes, pretty – girls. "Sure." I replied, doing a fine job of hiding my eagerness if I do say so myself.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I'm Chie Satonaka. I sit next to you, remember?"

"Of course."

"Nice to meet you! And this is Yukiko Amagi." she said, indicating the more refined-looking, dark-haired girl next to her.

"I-It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry this is all so sudden." An apology? Really? Politeness is one thing but that just seems excessive.

"Don't apologise. I'm new here. I'm glad to get to know people." And you're weirding me out.

With that we started to head outside. Or we would have were it not for- "Ah, Satonaka-san." -an interruption.

Interruption presented Chie with a DVD case. "This was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see and... I'mreallysorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!" He gave her the case. "Seeya thanks!" and bolted for the door. I don't know whether to commend him for his bravery in facing her and admitting fault or condemn him for running like a wuss. *CRUNCH* Ohhhhh, that looked painful. Commend him it is.

… Wait I recognise him now! Heh. Poor bastard. Just not his day, is it?

* * *

Walking out of the school gates, Yukiko was accosted by the worst pick-up artist I have _ever_ seen. _**Ever.**_

"Y-you're Yuki, right? Y-you wanna hang out somewhere?" No greeting. Nickname despite clearly having never spoken to her before. Stuttering. It's really just painful to watch.

At some point during his stammering we managed to draw a small crowd. Seems my opinion on his 'skills' is shared by most of the crowd. Whispers of "You'd think he'd wait until she was alone to make his move" and "I bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked out" were clearly audible and devastating this guy's composure (or lack thereof).

"Um... s-so are you coming or not?"

"I-I'm not going." Shocker.

"Fine!"

Aaaaand he's running. Hissy-fit not the exit strategy I would've gone for but after failing that badly it makes little diffe- Is he crying? Aww, dammit. Now I feel guilty for mocking him.

"What did he want from me?"

… You can't be serious.

"What did he want? Obviously he was asking you out on a date!", Chie cut in. She was serious. That's... I don't even know what to make of that.

"Not that he was doing a good job of it." I said, finally joining the conversation. "Or even an okay job."

"Yeah, like you're some kind of expert." HEY! "It was over the top, though. Like how he called you 'Yuki' all of a sudden."

"Yo, Yukiko-san! Turned down another lovelorn fool, huh?" Dude, you recovered _fast_! Usually takes me a full hour to recover to a nut-shot like that. "Man. You're cruel. You got me the same way last year."

_And how the hell do you intend to ride a bike with that injury?_

"I don't recall doing that." Yukiko retorted.

"Woah, you serious? You wanna hang out some time?" You're an optimist. Good for you.

"I'd rather not."

"That'll teach me to get my hopes up."

"If it's any consolation, you did better than that guy." I interrupted, inclining my head to indicate the guy still sobbing further down the street.

* * *

"Oh, so you came here because of your parents' job, huh? Haha, I thought it was something way more serious."

As we walked home Chie and I talked about various things. The school, cycling student (his name was Yosuke, apparently) and then the topic inevitably changed to me. It seems I'm a source of much curiosity in the school.

Yukiko stayed pretty quiet though. Shy, maybe? I dunno.

"Yeah. Usually they drag me around to wherever their job takes them but this year is supposed to be really busy for them, so I'm staying with my uncle for the year instead."

"You sound like you're mad at them or something."

"Mad may be a bit strong." No, it's not. "Frustrated'd be more accurate." Nope. Equally as accurate.

"Well I bet it's not gonna help being left here, right? There really is nothing here. I mean that's what makes it nice but there's nothin' to show off to people from outside."

I think I'm giving the wrong impression here. "Don't get me wrong. I've been to plenty of different places. Some more impressive than others. Went to America a couple of times, even." Hmm. I think I'm starting to sound like I'm bragging. Wrap it up. "What I'm trying to say is I'm glad to stay in one place for more than six months. Where doesn't matter that much to me... Wait I think that came out... Let me start ove-"

Chie stopped me before I got too caught up. "It's okay! Don't worry about it. Besides I was exaggerating anyway. It's not like there's really nothin' here. I mean there's... Umm... I think our dyed clothes are famous?... And pottery..." She looks to Yukiko for help "Oh! And the Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!"

"Really? Must be quite the swanky inn."

Yukiko finally spoke up at the mention of the inn. "Huh? It's just an old inn."

"No way! It's been in all sorta magazines as a hidden treasure." Seriously? That actually sounds like a pretty big deal.

We kept chatting for a few minutes. Until Chie threw me a curveball, that is. "So, tell me. You think Yukiko's cute huh?"

Dammit Chie! Okay, calm and... answer. "Sure." Perfect! Affirmative but non-commital.

"Come on, Chie... Don't start this again..."

"Hahaha! Sorry, sorry! But this is our chance to talk to someone from the big city and you've barely said a word." I was about to correct her but something caught our eye up ahead. "Hey, what's that?"

Up ahead was a police cordon and a small crowd gathered around it. One woman wasn't keeping her voice down like the others. "Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here." Wait, what?

"Wait, what did she just say?" Chie and I are clearly on the same wavelength. "A dead body?"

I was so distracted by the news I didn't notice my uncle until he was standing right in front of us. "What're you doing here?"

"Did something happen?" Yeah, this could lead to disaster for my chances with both girls but I'm curious.

"Well... you could say that." Didn't really answer the question. That's a hearty 'hell yes' then. "Damn principal. We told him not to let them through here." I don't think you meant to say that part out loud.

"You know this guy?"

Crap! Chie's on to me. Short answer. "Yeah. He's my uncle."

Don't elaborate, uncle. Please please please don't tell them you're a cop. Please please! "I'm Detective Dojima." DAMMIT! "How should I say this... I hope you get along with him."

… You couldn't have just left it at 'I'm a cop', could you. You suck, uncle.

"But you three really should stop wandering around and head straight home." Dojima finished. But just as he did another guy in a suit ran past in a panic.

"Ngh, *HLORRRRRF***" **Oh. That's why he was in a hurry. That's... that's gross.

"Adachi! How long are you gonna act like a rookie? You wanna be sent back to the central office?" Guess Dojima doesn't take kindly to puking on the job. A sound policy.

"I-I'm sorry... Urgh" the young detective responded groggily before cleaning up and heading back to the crime scene, glancing at us as he passed.

The three of us decided that it was best if we went our separate ways. Conversation would just be awkward after seeing this. After saying goodbye to Chie and Yukiko I headed straight home. I should tell Nanako that uncle is going to be home really late.

* * *

Nanako took the news better than I expected she would. Doesn't make it any less sad though. I can't help but relate.

Naturally the news on TV was all about the body. For once I decided to pay attention. They said the one found was Mayumi Yamano, an announcer on TV. The weirdest thing about the whole thing was that she was found hanging on an antenna on top of someone's roof. The weirdest thing about the situation, that is. The weirdest thing about the story is that they're reporting that it could've been an accident. How the hell could it have been an accident? She just tripped, fell and impaled herself on the antenna?

Oh. Guess not. Seems they can't determine cause of death. I'll admit that's kind of weird. Maybe she had a heart attack or something? I mean she's kind of young for that but I've heard of younger people dying of that.

Well... person. One. It really sucked finding out about that. Poor bastard.

"Oh, it's Junes!" Ah! Just the thing to cheer me up again! Go Nanako, go!

_\_At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself and get in touch with our products! _\_

_\_Every day's great at your Junes!_\_

"Every day's great at your Junes!"

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Yeah, I joined in. What of it?

And just like that, the mood in the room lifted. Junes cures everything. I really should go get unpacked though. My room is still covered in boxes.

Okay. Back in my room. Time to get to work. Gadgetry first. Laptop set up at the desk, games console set up under the TV (it's tiny and old but it'll do), media player alarm clock on the dresser, half-fridge next to the TV... oh and the other computer stuff. Just stash that around the desk for now. Next, clothes. In the dresser. Then... media. Anime collection on the bottom shelf, manga and books on the middle shelf. Assorted, err... magazines between the books.

Much better! It's almost like I live here now! Should probably go to bed early if I want to help Nanako with breakfast tomorrow.

I set my alarm clock and went straight to bed.

* * *

Everyone should wake up to Sukima Switch. Futasei Prologue is such a "good morning" kind of song.

Dress and... resist the urge to pose in the mirror again.

… Though I really do NO. Focus! Awesome breakfast hangs in the balance!

I shut off my music and head downstairs... Where Nanako had already almost finished breakfast? I checked the clock nearby.

… Is that the real time? Craaaaap. I grabbed the toast from the plate Nanako set out for me and said a hurried goodbye as I bolted for the door. Second day and I'm already running late. Awesome.

I guess I wasn't the only one in a hurry. I caught a glimpse of cycling student as he flew past me... 500 yen says he crashes again.

Meh. No one would be stupid enough to take that bet.

I caught up to him further down the street as he rolled around in a trashcan.

"S-someone...!" I decided to help him this time. I did ignore him yesterday. Both times. Of course, it would have been _easier_ if he stopped rolling around and accidentally kicking me but what're you gonna do?

"Thanks! You saved me... Um..."

"Seta." I reminded him.

"Oh, right. You're that transfer student. Seta Souji." Oh so he did remember. "I'm Yosuke Hanamura. Nice to meet ya!"

"You too. You alright? You've been having a pretty bad week so far from what I can tell."

"You're tellin' me. Chie doesn't look tough but her kicks are brutal. And she isn't afraid to aim for the weak spots."

We both winced almost simultaneously. "I remember."

We started idly chatting about the incident yesterday. Yosuke seemed pretty adamant that it was murder. I still have my doubts but I admit it's the more likely scenario. When we eventually realised we were becoming even more late while we talked in the street, Yosuke gave me a ride to school. Got us there just in time for first period. Lucky us. Sort of. We did have to listen to Morooka's ideas about philosophy so... call it a wash, I guess.

* * *

And thus, a tolerable day of school is over. "Hey Yosuke." I greeted, as said cycling student walked over. I should really start referring to him by name in my head. He gave me a funny look. "I rescued you from a garbage can a few hours ago." I pointed out. He stopped giving me the look but I couldn't tell whether he accepted my explanation for not using an honorific or because he really wanted me to stop talking about what happened this morning. Eh. Either way.

"Hey. So you getting used to this place?"

"Nah." The corpse on the first full day I was here may have something to do with that. "Not yet."

"Yeah. You've only been here a couple of days so I guess that's normal. There isn't much to do her compared to the big city but there is that certain... something that you can't get anywhere else." Huh. Pretty much what Chie said. Except she meant it. "The air's clean, the food's great... Oh, you know about the local delicacy?" I shook my head. "It's grilled steak, man! Like that's anything special!"

"Don't knock grilled steak, dude." I reprimanded. "That's a damn satisfying meal when the mood for it strikes." I tried (somewhat successfully) to say it without salivating.

"Oh yeah? I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me out this morning so it's on me."

"... You are now my brother in all but blood. Lead on!" No I'm not being melodramatic. Shut up.

Chie thought it best to spoil this beautiful moment. "What about me, huh? No apologies? My 'Trial of the Dragon'?" Woman, I don't know what you're talking about but you're keeping me – err, I mean _us_ – us from eating steak.

"Urgh. You always come around when I'm talking about food."

"How about it Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us too?"

"I'll pass." Yukiko responded as she got up to leave. "I don't want to gain any more weight. I have to help out at the inn today anyway." Good. You go. We go too. Steak.

"Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the business?" I started glaring at the side of Yosuke's head. He didn't seem to notice. I need to practice glaring.

"It's not like that. I'm just helping when it gets busy."

With that, she said goodbye and left. Leaving me, Yosuke and Steakus Interruptus.

"Well we should get going too." So she's coming too? Sure. If it gets us steak faster then that's fine by me.

"Huh? Do I seriously have to treat _two_ people?" Yes.

* * *

Junes, eh? Fair enough. I'll try not to brag to Nanako. We headed straight for the food court.

"_This_ is the place you were talking about?" Chie complained at Yosuke. Why is he carrying a tray of sodas? "They don't serve grilled steak here." _What._

"Yeah, well once you got on the freeloader train I had to change my plans."

_There will be recompense, vile woman._

"Still, that's no reason to take us to your place." _There are not yet names for the tortures I will visit upon y_-wait, his place? Seriously? Oh, HELLS YES! I am gonna get so much free st- oh wait. He just treated us to soda. If he can't blag some decent meals I don't have a snowball's chance.

"Hey, this isn't my place or anything." Huh? "Oh right. I haven't told you yet have I?"

Yosuke explained how his family had to move here because his dad was assigned to manage the Junes the company he worked for were building. Him and me. Two peas in a pod. Sucks to be us.

The three of us got to talking about a variety of things. From school to the incident yesterday, the town and the Junes. According to Chie, people in town blame Junes for the troubles the businesses in the shopping district are having. I guess that would make Yosuke and his family persona-non-grata.

While we were talking a somewhat good-looking girl who looked like she worked here sat a few tables from us. This would've been entirely unremarkable except for the fact that Yosuke's eyes practically sparkled as soon as he noticed her. "Hey, it's Saki-senpai! Sorry. Be right back." And just like that he was gone.

I took the opportunity to ask Chie who she was. "Is that Yosuke's girlfriend?"

"Haha. He wishes."

"Yeah. He's not exactly being subtle, is he?

"No, he's really not. That's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district."

Hm. Can't blame her for spurning his advances then. Must be some animosity there.

...Why am I suddenly sweating?... And why is that girl staring at me like I'm a steak?

… I really need to get my mind off of steak.

At that moment she started walking over to our table and HO you are standing close to me, lady. "Are you the transfer student?" She giggled. "Oh, you've heard about me already."

Indeed. Personal space, please?

"It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh?"

"Well I-"

"I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much. He doesn't have too many friends so I hope you two get along good."

"Ye-"

"Hana-chan's a good guy but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you."

… Hm? Oh, is it my turn to talk? Why how gracious of you. "Nah, he's a great guy." And I don't like your attitude. I didn't say that last bit but I think my tone got the message across.

"...I know. I'm just kidding." Sure you were. Yosuke, you have terrible taste in women. "Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go. See ya."

"Oh, uh, senpai!..." Yosuke watched her leave (while blatantly ignoring him) before sitting back down. "Heh. She says I'm annoying but she's even nosier than me. She pretty much treats me the same way as her younger brother."

"Oh so you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? I get it. 'The daughter of a local family-run liquor store. The scion of the invading chain. The flame of forbidden love.'" Chie can use the word 'scion' in a sentence? Wow. She's smarter than I thought she was.

"Dude, it's totally not like that!"

"Oh yeah? Well I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart. You ever hear of the midnight channel?" … Ugh, great. Local superstitions. Hoorayyyyyyy.

So according to Chie, the midnight channel happens on a rainy night at exactly midnight. If you watch a TV at midnight while it's off you'll see an image of your soulmate. Yosuke and I both thought it was stupid but Chie insisted we all try it tonight. Woo.

After hanging around Junes for a little while longer we all headed home in separate directions, Chie reminding us both about the midnight channel before she went. Wow. She's really gung-ho about this.

* * *

Uncle actually showed up during dinner! I'm astonished! I mean it would've been better if he got home before dinner but it's an improvement.

No. Shush, Seta. It's not your place to complain. I bet it took a hell of a lot of effort to even get back late what with all the work I'm sure he has to do. What with the incident and all.

Speaking of; the news reported on it again. This time they claimed to have found the student who found the body and got an interview. A ridiculous interview that was completely unprofessional on every level but still. Dojima fell asleep on the couch so I decided to head upstairs early, reading manga until about 5 minutes to midnight.

I shut off all of the lights, closed the curtains and sat watching a blank TV screen for five minutes.

57

You better be right about this Chie.

58

Even though there's no chance in hell this'll work.

59

… Probably.

00:00

…

…

… Nothing. Figu- huh? Holy crap! Something's really happening!

… That's … A girl … light brown hair …

… Is that who I think it is?

… Ohhhhh Yosuke is gonna be _pissed._

_

* * *

¬_

* * *

_A'N: SUPER-FRELLING-LONG CHAPTER! YEAH!_

Well, not really. Both because it's only about as long as a chapter should be and because technically it's a double chapter. Why is it a double chapter? Because the chapters constantly saying "chapter 2 chapter 1" or "chapter 1 chapter 0" etc is driving me nuts!

Review time!

**DrTempo**: You don't say much but I appreciate the encouragement. That goes for all the people subscribing to the story too. Thankee muchly.

**CopyZero**: You're welcome but be sure to thank SamJaz too for being an inspiration.

**SamJaz**: OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! … A-hem, sorry. What I mean is thankyou for the review. And trust me. Your response to this story has already caused a reaction.

**Patcheresu**: Hm. He does seem a bit like the LP's Minato, doesn't he? Hadn't really noticed. It wasn't intentional, I assure you.

And if memory serves the song he was humming was "Ohayou" by Keno. It was the first opening of the Hunter x Hunter anime.

**Slicerness**: I'm British. So I'm not sure whether to consider that a compliment. But I'll take it as one anyway. So thankee!

A minor announcement. SamJaz appears to have thrown down the frelling gauntlet. He wants awesome so I'mma give him some awesome. I need help with that though. Beta is helping all he can (as a good beta does) but I'll reiterate what I said in the Chapter 0 A/N. Criticism is welcomed with open arms. If something doesn't work right or I slip out of character for someone I would appreciate anyone pointing that out so I can work on it.

Again, thanks everyone for reading.


	5. Alice Had it Easy

-I ART THOU-

Wha?

-**THOU ART I**-

Argh! My... My head... It... hurts...

-**THOU ART THE ONE**- … Please stop... -**WHO OPENS THE DOOR**-

_Stop!_

…

… It's gone? … What _was_ that just now?

No, nevermind. It's gone. That's good enough for me. At least for now anyway. I'm going to the hospital at the first opportunity though.

TV's still on. Wait a minute. I never turned it on in the first place. Chie specifically said it had to be off for that midnight channel crap to work. I reached out to the TV. Maybe it's just busted or something. I'll just switch it off.

I missed the button. By a mile. But the fact that I have no coordination is not my biggest concern right now.

My _biggest_ concern is that my hand is now _gone_. WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!

Did something just pull on my- "YAH!" I fell forward into the TV, only avoiding falling all the way through due to not being able to fit.

No way in hell am I dying half-stuck in a TV. I push against the TV casing with the only hand I have in an attempt to free myself. It didn't take long to get free but the sudden lack of resistance caused me to fall backwards.

… And crack my head on the table behind me. Thank you adrenaline. I bet that would've really hurt without your interference.

"Are you okay...?" Nanako's voice. Dammit. The noise must've woken her up.

Answer, you idiot! "Maybe." No, answer better! "Probably... Yes. I mean yes, I'm fine. Sorry for waking you up."

"... Okay." Phew. "G'night."

"Good night." Yes. Sleep is good now. Here on the floor is fine. The three steps to my bed would probably somehow cause my death. Like I'd accidentally fall into a portal to hell or something.

...Sleep.

* * *

… Muh? Ah, screw you Sukima Switch. I'm not in the mood. Man, my head. I miss adrenaline.

So... what really happened last night? That midnight channel thing. That really happened. I'm sure of it. But the rest? Maybe I passed out out of shock and hit my head?

...God I hope so. I'll... ask the others what happened to them.

Up. Dressed. Gone. I'll grab breakfast on the way.

* * *

"Anno Domini means "in the year of the lord'. A.D. Began when Jesus Christ was born." Please leave me alone so I can think, crazy Pharaoh lady. Five. I was barely listening. I just know she asked something about A.D.

I was right. Woo. Back to what's important.

So the midnight channel thing. True. Then there was the voice and that indescribable pain. I... I don't think I dreamed that. I mean I've never experienced pain that was in any way like that and I can't dream something that is completely outside my experience, right? So... So that happened too.

Then the TV. I don't know. I could've dreamed that easily. I could've passed out for a second from that pain, hit my head and came back around to hear Nanako.

Yeah. That must be it.

Huh? School's over already? Was I so lost in thought I completely missed lunch? Dammit.

"My senpai told me it was a third year named Saki who found the body." What? Really?

Actually, you know what? Right at this very moment I don't care at all. I got up to see if I could find Yosuke or Chie.

"Y-yo Seta. Um..."

Eh? "Oh. Hey, Yosuke." One. We stood there awkwardly for a moment. I needed confirmation that something weird happened to him too. And that was it. "It's uh... It's not really that important but... Well, yesterday on TV I-" He looked around the room nervously. "You know what? It's not important. I'll tell ya later. Heheh..."

"Yosuke, did you hear the rumour?" Hi, Chie. Seven. Nice to see you again too. "Saki-senpai is supposedly the one who discovered the body!"

"... You didn't watch that midnight channel last night, did you?" I asked Chie.

"What? Of course I did but-"

"THEN WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU AS FREAKED OUT AS US?" The two of them looked at me, shocked. So did everyone in the room, in fact. "Ahem. Sorry. But really! One of these stupid superstitions actually comes true and you don't even bat an eye?"

"Wait, so you both saw it last night, too?"

"Well I know I did and Yosuke is acting almost as weird as I figure I am, right now. So it's fair to assume."

"Me too! I totally saw a girl!" … Eh? This so very trumps spooky voices and falling into TVs. "But my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean?"

Fun times. "Well-" I began.

"I mean I couldn't quite tell who it was." Hmph. Spoiling my fun times. "Her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform and-"

"Hey, I think that's the same person I saw!" Yosuke interjected.

"... Me too." I know who it is though. But if we all saw the same person then the midnight channel is clearly not what Chie thought it was. So it doesn't matter, right? "But... is that all that happened to you guys?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well... after the midnight channel, I", I took a deep breath to steady myself and ,"I heard this really weird spooky voice in my head talking like 'thou art thee art thou art something something' and I felt the horrible pain in my head then I touched my TV screen and my hand passed through the screen and then something pulled me further in until my head went through and I got stuck." Breathe... In... Out... Breathe...

"..."

"..."

Chie started first. "Snrk... Hahahahahahahaha!"

Then Yosuke joined in. "Hahahahaha!"

… Yeah. Maybe I should've kept quiet.

Yosuke was the first to recover. "So, hmhmhm, ahem. So there was this weird voice. Then you got sucked into your TV? Hahaha! Dude, were you that tired? You must've just fallen asleep in front of your TV."

Chie eventually stopped laughing. "Hahahaha." _Eventually_. "Yeah. I liked the part where you got stuck because your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic." … Screw you guys."Oh, that reminds me. My parents are looking to buy a bigger TV."

"Oh yeah? Well we're beefing up the electronics department this month so you wanna take a look on the way home?" And so all conversation about what happened last night ended there. "We might even find one big enough for this guy to fit into. Heheheh." Except for the mocking, of course.

* * *

When we got to Junes, Chie and Yosuke headed straight for the electronics department. I took a detour to the food court to grab something to eat. Not had a decent meal all day after all. When I caught up to the others they were already looking at TVs.

"Wow! This is huge!" Chie exclaimed, looking at a pretty massive TV. "And... holy crap, it's expensive. Who buys something like this?

"Rich folks I guess." answered Yosuke. I decided not to mention my parents having one almost as big as this in the one place they hold as an ordinary residence.

Not that they ever stay there, though. I still don't get why they bother.

"Well, at least looking's free!"

They looked at each other, nodded and walked towards the TV. Both started to tap the screen.

...Oh, I get it. You guys are hilarious.

"Nope. Can't get in. Figures."

"Hmhmhm. This proves it. It was all just a dream."

"... Oh, really?" Screw it. I look stupid whether this works or not. I walked up to the screen and tapped it with my index finger.

It rippled just like it did last night. And those two didn't notice. Perfect! I turned to face them, raised my left arm and...

…shoved it through the screen, elbow deep.

Watching their minds process what just happened is such a beautiful experience. Calm. Confusion. Realisation. Horror. Aaaand … panic. There it is. Delicious. Serves you two right for taking the piss out of-...Waaaaaaitaminute.

… It worked.

… It wasn't a dream.

… It all really happened.

… My arm is in a TV right now.

…

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Chie screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Yosuke joined her.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I pulled my arm back out. Then the reality of the situation proved too much for me. The next thing I remember was Yosuke slapping me while I stared at the ceiling.

"Wake up!" Slap. "Wake up!" Slap. "Wake u-" I grabbed his arm.

"Quit slapping me. What happened?"

"Your arm went through a damn TV screen, that's what happened! How did you do that?"

Yosuke helped me to my feet as I tried to put the pieces together.

… I can pass through TV screens.

… That about covers it. "I 'unno." I answered.

"Whaddya mean you don't know? How can you not kno-" I interrupted Chie by sticking my hand in the TV again. "STOP DOING THAT."

I shushed her. "I'm thinking." Obviously this shouldn't be possible and it must be something to do with me since Chie and Yosuke tried and it didn't work. So that rules out the midnight channel... The voice! What did the voice say. 'Thou art the one... "who opens the door"'.

"What?" Chie asked, still confused as would be expected but at least they've both calmed down a bit now.

"I'm going in."

"WHAT?" both of them shouted in unison. So much for calm.

"Stop shouting already! Don't draw attention to us." I reprimanded. "I'm going to stick my head in and see what's on the other side."

"But-" I didn't hear the end of Yosuke's objection as my head was already passing through.

Hm. Can't see much in here. Plenty of space though. I pulled myself back out and told them.

"Whaddya mean 'empty space'?"

"I mean empty space. I can't really see clearly what's in there but there's room to move around. I'm gonna go in and check it out."

"What? No! What if-"

I stopped Chie before she could finish her complaint. I'd feel bad about constantly interrupting them but... I need to know what this is. "I'll be fine. I'll be back in a minute." I put my right leg through the screen and started feeling around for some sort of floor.

Chie tried to pull me back out but only caused me to lose balance on my other foot. I started falling into the screen. Chie panicked and gripped tighter but only got dragged in after me.

"Chie!" I heard Yosuke shout. Then there was falling and...

* * *

"Shiiiiiiiiiiii-UGH!"

"Ah!"

"Oof!"

I'm gonna have some bruises tomorrow. "Are you guys okay?

"Yeah."

"Man, I think my butt's cracked now." … Yosuke, it's … Nah. Too easy.

"So... where the heck are we?"

That's a damn good question, Chie. "I can't see anything so I have no idea. Yosuke?"

"I can't see anything much. Lights. Spotlights. And … rigging … like you'd find on the set of a TV show. Maybe it's a studio."

"Makes sense to me. We're in a TV after all." I started wandering around looking for anything that could tell us more.

"A studio? So maybe this fog is … smoke?" Chie asked.

"Maybe." … Err. This could be a problem. "Umm, guys? Either of you see a way out of here?"

Chie gave me a confused look. "What are you talking about? The exit's right behi-AHH!"

"What? What?"

"The exit's gone!"

"WHAT? How can that be?"

I sighed. "Chie, the exit was never behind you. We fell remember? Pretty far too from what I can tell. If that exit is still there then we can't get to it. We need to look around for some other way to get out of here" I explained.

"Y-you're right, Seta. Let's just calm down and think for a minute." Yosuke took a few calming breaths and continued. "Okay. So how do we find a way out of here?"

Chie looked at the two of us, clearly still on edge.

Time to be helpful. I thought about it for a few seconds. "Well it's safe to say I could get wherever 'here' is through any TV. So either all TV's lead to this place or each leads to a different place. So there're three possibilities. One: There's one exit and it's right above us. Two: There are millions of exits all around us and we just can't see them. Three: getting out of here isn't that simple."

Yosuke was doing his best to follow my logic. "... Okay so how does that help us?"

"Oh... Uhh … I guess it doesn't really." Oops.

Chie snapped. "Oh, great! You're a lifesaver, Seta! You get us all dragged in here and now we're trapped! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!" She started sobbing quietly.

… She's right. I could've gone back to Junes alone on another day and checked this place out on my own. I was impatient and ended up dragging them into this, literally.

I walked over to where Chie was standing and looked her straight in the eye. "Chie-chan, I'm sorry I got you and Yosuke mixed up in this but I promise I will get us out of here. If we just stay calm and keep our wits about us we'll be fine. Can you do that?"

She paused for a moment, looking at me. "... Fine. But …. But you better be right about this."

"Thankyou." I turned to Yosuke. "Okay, Yosuke. Pick a direction and we'll start exploring."

"Why me?" Because then I can pin some of the blame on you. "Uhh, that way." He pointed in a random direction.

"Okay. Let's go."

* * *

After what felt like an age of walking and searching we came upon a real landmark. A large building with dozens of empty rooms. And by empty rooms I mean doors with literally nothing on the other side of them. It was just one giant room with dozens of doors lining the walls end-to-end, floor-to-ceiling. We were about to give up when we noticed one door that wasn't like the others.

Namely it wasn't a door. Instead it was a red and black swirl. Having found nothing else of note anywhere, we decided to check it out. No way to know what an exit would even look like in this place, right?

After passing through the strange doorway we found ourselves, not back in the real world but in what looked like a bedroom.

"Hey Seta, is it just me or is the fog lighter here?"

"No, you're right Yosuke. And I'm glad of that. I was getting some pretty bad eye-strain trying to see where I was going out there."

Yosuke took this opportunity to try his phone, now that he could see the display. "No service. Figures."

We looked around the room. It's hard to believe we didn't notice the serial killer style decorations lining the walls. Dozens of copies of the same poster with all of the faces scratched out. Yosuke was the first to comment. "It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go... Wait, I've seen that poster somewhere before."

"Someone must really hate whoever was on it. The faces are all scratched out." Chie put in.

Yosuke walked to the centre of the room where "Guys … this chair and rope … That arrangement is never good." he observed, indicating a noose hanging above a chair. "Wait, is that a scarf?"

Chie, laughed nervously. "Heheh, okay. Come on. L-let's get out of here."

"Y-yeah I'm with Chie on this one." I agreed. "There's no way out here. Let's get back to the entrance and try another way. Besides, this room makes me feel... uneasy. And... is anyone else not feeling so hot?"

"Now that you mention it..." Yosuke agreed. "Okay. Let's head back."

* * *

About what I assume was a half hour later, we got back to the entrance. All three of us feeling worse by the minute.

"Phew, we finally made it back." Chie said, relieved. "Wait, whats that?" She pointed behind me.

I turned around to see an odd shadow in the distance... Seventeen. Why does this feel familiar?

The shadow started moving towards us. As it got within visible distance I found out I really wasn't prepared for what this thing was. It looked... weird. Something like an egg standing on the pointed end that someone dressed as a clown.

… I'm clearly not thinking clearly. That much is … umm … clear.

"What is this thing?" Chie asked. "A monkey? A bear?" What? How does that thing look like an animal? … Oh, yeah. The ears. Okay. I see it now.

I still say it looks like a clown egg.

"What in the world...?" Oh yeah. Thank you Yosuke. That's a much better question right now.

"Th-that's what I wanna know!" AAHHH! HOLY SHIT IT TALKED! "Who are you guys?"

Chie gasped. "It talked!" I KNOW, RIGHT? "Uhh, what are you? … Y-You wanna fight?" YES! Chie, go kill it! Kick him in his little egg nuts!

"D-don't yell at me like that." The egg started cowering in fear.

"Umm, guys? I think he's scared of us." I realised. "Yosuke. Go talk to it."

"What? No way! You do it!"

Dammit. You suck Yosuke. "Umm, so... clown egg thing... could you tell us where we are? Please?"

He stopped cowering long enough to answer. "Huh? This is where I live. You guys should hurry back to the other side. It's not safe for you here." It paused in thought for a minute. "And I'm a bear!"

"Why not?" Oh, now you talk, Yosuke.

"Someone's been throwing people in here."

"What do you mean 'throwing people in'? Who?"

"I don't know who does it, I just want them to stop and think before they go doing things like that!"

"... Am I the only one not following a word of this?" I asked.

"Uhh, so what it comes down to is you want us to get out of here, right? So how do we leave? We don't know where the frickin' exit is!" Oh, Yosuke, I'm so glad you're still thinking clearly. I have no idea what this thing is talking about and Chie still looks ready to kill it.

"That's what I've been saying! I'll let you out!" I don't remember you ever saying that, egg-boy.

Wait, really? "You can do that?"

"Of course! I'm a beary capable bear!" He giggled at his pun. Then waved his stubby little arm and a pile of TVs appeared out of nowhere.

"What the hell?" Yosuke.

"Where did these TVs come from?" Chie.

"Guys, we can leave. Now's not to question why." I stepped towards the TVs and pushed my hand through.

"Okay go go go!" What? "Get out of here. I'm a busy bear!"

"We're going, just rela-AH hey! Quit pushing, dammit!"

* * *

"Huh... Is this...?"

"Did we... make it back?"

"It looks like it." Thank god. I feel like I was losing my mind in there. "Is everybody okay?"

"More or less." Yosuke answered first. "I still feel queasy though."

"Yeah, me too." Chie responded. "I think I'm gonna head straight home and go to bed."

_\_ Attention shoppers! Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side-dish area on the first floor._\_

"Crap! Is it already that late?" Yosuke exclaimed. "I better head ho-wait. Look over there! Look!" He was pointing at a poster on the wall behind the TV display. "That's the poster we saw! It's of Misuzu Hiragi! That enka singer that's been all over the news!"

"Oh yeah." Chie agreed. "It was something about her husband having an affair with that announcer lady who died the other day."

Yosuke's thoughts were written all over his face. "So that announcer's death... could've been related to that creepy room we saw? I mean that chair and noose..." He shook his head to clear it. "Yaaagh, no! Stop! We need to stop talking about this. I'm going home and forgetting this whole thing ever happened."

"Yosuke, I'm... I'm sorry about all this, you guys." _I almost got them killed._

"...Don't worry about it, Seta. It wasn't totally your fault. We'll just forget it happened, right?"

"Yeah, Seta-kun. Just go home and get some rest." Chie suggested with a reassuring smile. "We all need it."

"Alright. I'll... see you guys tomorrow."

We all headed home separately.

* * *

"Hey, welcome home." … Uncle? Five. You're actually here for dinner? And _I'm_ the one who ends up being late? Guess I really can't complain about it anymore.

"Hi, uncle. Hey Nanako." Eight. I greeted as I fell onto my seat at the table.

"Err, well I doubt you'd know but..." uncle began ,"Have you heard anything about a student named Saki Konishi?"

"Uhh..." I tried to remember what that girl was saying earlier. "Oh, that was it. People at school were saying she was the one who discovered that body two days ago."

He sighed. "Yeah, it's true. To be honest, we got a call from her family. She's disappeared." What? "We've got people looking for her but she hasn't been found yet."

I should tell him. It could offset the guilt a little. "Oh. Well if it helps any, I did meet her yesterday."

"Oh? When?"

"After school at Junes. She was working there. Well, more specifically she was on break when I met her. And her... personality quirks aside, she seemed fine. In fact I wouldn't have believed it was really her that found the body if you hadn't confir-hah-HACHOO! … Ugh. Sorry. Guess I'm a bit under the weather."

Uncle didn't hide that he wanted me to keep talking but he chose to be understanding instead. "Nanako could you fetch some cold medicine for your cousin?" She headed to the kitchen to get it. "Take it and head straight to bed. We can talk more tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks, uncle." Nanako came back with some tablets and a glass of water. I took them and thanked Nanako with a smile.

I made a quick stop at the bathroom and splashed some water in my face. Ugh. This guilty conscience is destroying my self-esteem. Whenever I look at myself in the mirror I think 'Zero'.

As soon as I got to my room I fell straight into bed and fell asleep instantly. At least I assume I did. I don't remember landing.

A/N:

Reviews first.

**slicerness:** I'd say pairing is still undecided. But I'd be _lying_. I will say there'll probably be more than one over the course of the story.

**SamJaz:** Yeah. I've a decent idea of Seta's general character now. He'll take the piss fairly often but he'll rarely say it out loud since he was raised to be too polite for that. But when things get serious, so does he.

As for the song, my bad. I could've picked a more well known or easily available one I guess. It just struck a chord with me (heehee! Music pun!) so I used it. If it helps, Futasei Prologue is the first track from Nayuta to Fukashigi, Sukima Switch's most recent album. That album also has 'Golden Time Lover' on it which is definitely a song you should recognise.

**AthanMortis:** Seta is unlikely to get the minor arcana and so won't be able to create personae. However, I do intend to add some new ones. Some you are very likely to recognise. Thanks for the support.

Reviews over. Another longer chapter. And this one wasn't easy, I tell ya. I'm not confident in writing wacky hijinks like Yosuke's peepee dance so I rewrote everything from Junes forward. I gave the whole thing a bit more of a serious tone but I think I pulled it off.

Any feedback is welcome. Thanks for reading.


	6. Grin and Bear It

I _really_ need to change that alarm. It's rapidly becoming a week where I should wake up to whiny American rock bands.

As soon as I got ready and went downstairs, uncle headed for the door.

"Oh, you're up. Well, I'm off."

"Oh, okay. See you later th-" **BANG** O...kay? Guess he was in a rush?

"Um, Dad got a call so he left." Oh. Well it must've been important I guess.

"Hm. Nevermind then. Good morning, Nanako." Eight. That stuff about Saki can wait anyway. I mean I doubt I know anything useful. Yosuke probably knows more than me anyway and I'd be surprised if the police haven't already talked to him.

…Eight?

And what's this uneasy feeling I'm having?

"Good morning!" She replied with a smile. Always a nice thing to see first thing in the morning. Almost makes you forget crazy fog worlds and clown egg bears and freaky hotel rooms... Whoops.

"I think I'll skip breakfast today and take a walk before school. You want me to fix you something before I go?" I asked. Yeah, she does it herself everyday but she is six years old. She shouldn't have to.

"No, that's okay. I'll just have some toast." … I think she just doesn't trust my cooking skills. Hmph. I'll show her.

The rain pretty much ruined the walk I was planning on having. So I headed straight for the school instead. I could relax in my classroom for an hour or so. Play games on my phone or something, I dunno.

Lot of sirens this morning...

Oh no... Something prove me wrong.

* * *

School went by surprisingly quickly considering what was on my mind. Yosuke was unusually quiet and that wasn't easing my concern at all. One. Maybe he's still weirded out by yesterday. Yeah. He's probably still trying to forget it and having a hard time. Yeah, that has to be it.

Our class started to head for the special assembly.

_Please let that be it._

As we walked I heard students talking about some non-specific rumour. I suppose it's got to be a big deal since nobody needs to clarify what people mean when they say 'did you see it?'.

Chie's concerns were elsewhere though. Seven. "Yukiko said she'd be here after lunch." She sighed to herself before turning to talk to me and Yosuke. "I wonder why they're holding a school assembly all of a sudden."

Yosuke stayed quiet.

So did I.

"Hey, what's wrong, Yosuke?"

"...Oh, it's nothing." he lied. As soon as we got in the assembly hall the assembly began.

_\_"Everyone please settle down. First, the principal has something to say."_\_ Pharaoh lady five stepped away from the podium so the principal could step in front of the microphone.

"I... regret to say I have a terrible announcement for all of you."

_Oh no..._

"One of our third-year students, Miss Saki Konishi of class 3..."

_Please no..._

"... has passed away."

… Chie said something. Yosuke struggled to hold it together.

Me? I left. Went looking for a place to sit down and... process things. Third floor by the end stairs. Works well enough. Anywhere I could sit down is gonna get crowded soon anyway. In lieu of a seat, I leaned against a wall.

She found the body of the woman that probably had something to do with the fog world. So that means that woman must've been murdered if Saki was... was also killed. So that means..._"Someone's been throwing people in here._"

So someone is using that world to... kill people?

"You knew." Yosuke. I guess the assembly let out.

"Yeah." He punched me in the face. It hurt. Probably not as much as it could've. He isn't exactly one-hundred percent right now.

"How did you know?" he asked, rubbing his slightly reddened knuckles.

I counted on my fingers. "She found the body. She went missing. Last night I told my uncle I met her and this morning he was out the door before I could say a word. He's a detective so he was probably one of the first to know. And finally," I raised a fourth finger. "The amount of sirens blaring this morning is enough to indicate something big happened... Reminds me. Police will probably want to talk to me at some point. You too, actually. If you haven't spoken to them already, that is."

He punched me in the face again. It hurt more this time. Guess I pissed him off. "How can you be so damn calm about this? Senpai is...Do you even _care_?"

"... This is how I deal. I'll probably vent into a brick wall when it's more appropriate. But for now, I repress. Some would say it's not healthy but it means I don't go and do something like, say, punch someone in the face?"

He paused at that. He's not thinking it's a good idea, is he? I don't think the world needs another emotionless wall of stoicism.

"Did you watch it again last night?"

"It?" I asked. Oh. _That._ "No. I had other things on my mind. Why?"

"Something was bothering me, so I watched it again and... and I think the girl on the screen was Saki-senpai." Ohhhh, crap. Time to come clean.

"It was." He looks like he's gonna hit me again. Talk faster. "I recognised her on the night we all watched it but we all thought it was something to do with soulmates or some crap, right? So I kept quiet since I knew you'd be pissed. Yes you would." I answered his protest before he voiced it. "When I realised we'd all seen the same person I figured it was something else entirely so it didn't matter." Wait a minute. "...Now I'm thinking it really did."

"Yeah. When I watched it last night it looked like she was writhing in pain and then... she disappeared from the screen. They're saying that senpai was found in a similar position to Mayumi Yamano, right?"

"I see where you're going with this. Since they were found the same way and killed within days of each other, they were killed by the same person and Yamano was somehow involved with that fog world we were in yesterday. So that means the midnight channel and the murders are connected, right?" He nodded. "I was already with you on the connection between the fog world and the murder thanks to what that egg said."

"Well there's more!" …Why does he sound excited? "I heard Chie talking with Yukiko about the midnight channel and it sounded like someone saw Mayumi Yamano on it before she was killed!"

"It definitely lends credence to the theory."

"I think we need to go back in to that world and investigate."

"... Are you sure about this? There's a chance we won't be able to get back as easily as we did last time."

"... Yeah. I need to find out for myself."

"... Then I'm with you." I hope I don't end up regretting this.

Yosuke's grin was very bizarre considering the situation. "Awesome. I'll head straight to Junes and pick up some things. You go find Chie and tell her what's going on. We're gonna need her."

"From that I assume you have a plan? I hope you also have one for how I'm supposed to get Chie to come with us."

"She's not coming with us." What? "Just make sure she comes."

* * *

I figured it'd be easier to get Chie to come with me first, then tell her the situation. We were about halfway to Junes and the conversation... "WHAT?"... could've gone better.

"Murders, fog world and midnight channel connected. Yosuke wants to find out what happened. I do too. Yosuke has a plan. You're not going in with us. That's pretty much all I got."

"No, that's not... NO! You could get killed! Just let the police handle it!"

"Handle what? The crazy fog world on the other side of TVs that kills people? The one that as far as we know they don't even know about, let alone being able to get into it?"

"Y-yeah. That."

"C'mon Chie-chan. Be serious. There's no way the police could do anything about this so it's pretty much up to us."

"Ugh. Fine! You wan to risk your life, go right ahead! But I'm not gonna let you drag Yosuke into this too."

"Actually he suggested it before I could."

* * *

"You guys came!" Oh, god.

"I came to stop you, idiot!" He's holding a rope. "You really shouldn't do this." Tell me that's not his whole plan. "It's too dangerous!"

"Suddenly, I'm with Chie-chan. Your plan isn't just to have her hold the other end of that rope you're wearing, right? There's no way that's your whole plan... And why are you holding a golf club?"

"What's wrong with that? It means we can get out quick if we need to, right?" No. There are dozens of holes in this plan. "And the golf club? I figured you should have a weapon, just in case." Good. Something to hit him with when his stupid plan fails.

"Hey, if all else fails maybe we'll run into that bear again if we go through the same entrance."

"'Maybe' isn't good enough!" Chie shouted.

"Look, I can't just act like everyone else and pretend this has nothing to do with me. I'm sorry but you can't talk me out of this. Please, just hold onto this rope and wait here. We'll be back soon. I promise." Not bad, Yosuke.

Yosuke handed me the golf club as I said "You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do this."

* * *

I pushed him through the screen and jumped in after him.

Yosuke landed in a roll in front of me. I was decidedly less graceful.

The floor here is really painful. Just like I remember.

"Look! This is the same place as before!" Yes. I recognise this lovely design from the last time I faceplanted on it. "So they _are_ connected from place to place."

I got to my feet, dusted myself off and cracked my neck. "Not necessarily. It could be they all connect here. We've never tried coming in from somewhere else."

"Y-you guys? Why'd you come back?" Uh? Oh, it's clown egg bear. He walked (or waddled) towards us. "Ohhh, I get it! You're the ones behind this!"

"You're that thing from last time." Glad to see you're on the ball, Yosuke. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"Lately, I can tell someone's been throwing people in here. It's making this world more and more messed up. This is the second time you guys came here and I don't think anyone forced you in. That means you're the most suspicious! You guys must be the ones throwing people in here!" He growled at us. I assume it was supposed to be menacing.

It was not.

I turned to Yosuke. "He does have a point about us being suspicious."

"But we're not the culprits! We're the ones trying to catch the guy doing this!"

"But he... He?" Teddie leaned forward. Was that supposed to be a nod? Eh. "He doesn't know that. Maybe we should just tell him what we know."

[several minutes later]

"... and then I came up with this plan to use a rope as a lifeline so we could... we could... umm, Seta?" Yosuke said, lifting the rope that wasn't connected to anything anymore, just hanging limply off of him.

"What, you're surprised? I told you that plan wasn't gonna work."

"... Hey, bear! You better let us out of here once we're done investigating." You really need to work on how you ask for favours, Yosuke.

He growled at us again. "I'm the one who wants to investigate! Besides, you haven't said anything that proves you're not the ones throwing people in here. Can you prove it? Prove to me you're not the ones responsible."

"And how should we do that? There's no way to prove it."

"Aha! So it is you guys!" Ugh. This is starting to go in circles.

"Look, we know that after being in this world, people come back dead in our world. So if we know that, why would we come here if we're the ones throwing people in? Especially if there's no sure way out?"

"Well..." Phew. He's finally starting to doubt his suspicions. Logic wins the day!

"For the last time, it's not us! We have nothing to prove to you!" Yosuke interrupted. "Now listen, people have died in our world."

"Whenever the fog appears in our world, a dead body shows up with it."

…

… What? When did I make that connection? It doesn't even make that much sense. I mean it's true but it's not exactly important.

"A dead body... Whenever the fog appears?" Clown egg bear said, trying to adopt a thinking pose. "I know that if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. It's really dangerous when the fog lifts. That's when the shadows get violent." he continued with a slight quiver in his voice.

"If it's foggy on our side it isn't here? … Shadows get violent? …. I don't get it." Yosuke voiced my thoughts before I could.

"Enough questions! I know you guys did it! You better stop right now!"

"Oh, back to this again. We've told you and told you we're not the ones doing it! I've just about had it with you! Why won't you listen to what we're saying?" Dude, Yosuke. Chill.

"I-I'm just saying you guys might be the culprits! I-I'm just making sure..."

"Okay. This thing is starting to give me a headache. Yosuke, you talk to it." He shot me an irritated look but I ignored it. Sit down, phone, earphone, music, go. Ahhhhhh. Much better. I half listened to the conversation as it carried on.

Yosuke sighed. "What is this place anyways? Looks like a TV studio... Hey, wait! Is that weird show being filmed here?" _\_Reisei ni terashi awasete mireba kimi to boku wa sei hantai de_\_

"Show? Filmed? What does that mean?" _\_Karappo youki to roku demo nai boku ga no kotta _\_

"Uh... I'm asking if someone has been filming the people who get thrown in here." _\_Sono uchi wasurerun datte _\_

"... I don't get it. This world has always been like this. No one's ever done that filming thing here."_\_Modora nai mono wa mou modora nai _\_

"Always been like this? But someone has to have built this place!"_\_Tada negaun da "Dekirudake tooku he tobe!" _\_

"Only me and shadows are here! I told you before!"_\_Kimi wo omoi tsuduke terebatte _\_

"Ugh! We don't know what these 'shadow things are! Or what you are, for that matter. You keep telling us to prove our innocence but you're the most suspicious thing here! Maybe you're the real culprit. And what's with that stupid costume? I'd say it's time we see who you really are."_\_Nasake naku hikizuri tsudukete iru, jibun ga kirai-_\_ Wait what? I pulled out my earphone to see what Yosuke w-"AAAAAAHHHH!"

In Yosuke's hands was the head of the "bear" costume that we were talking to. Next to him was the rest of the costume, swinging around helplessly, trying to get the head back.

And inside the costume... Nothing. And not the 'Holy crap it's moving on it's own!' kind of nothing. No. It was the 'gaze into the abyss and the abyss also gazes into you' kind of nothing. The fog, the air, even light didn't reach the inside of the suit. I have never seen anything so terrifying in all my life. On the outside was the costume but on the inside... Nothing. Like the thing on the outside couldn't (or shouldn't) even exist.

Yosuke was the first to recover from the soul-rending horror we were experiencing. Enough to speak, at least. "Wh... What the hell are you? You're... empty... inside." He dropped the abomination's head and fell to his knees, disturbed to his very core by what we just witnessed.

The thing took this opportunity to steal it's head back. "Me? The culprit? I wouldn't do such a thing!" It's like he doesn't even realise he just crippled Yosuke with fear. "I just want to live here peacefully..."

"Uhhm, bear... thing?" Suddenly the idea of it being just a bear is very reassuring. "I think you just broke Yosuke so... maybe we could stop suspecting each other and just... get investigating?"

"... Okay. I'll believe you guys aren't the culprits, but I want you to find the real guy who did all this. You have to stop him. Promise me. Or else I'm not gonna let you guys out of here!" he threatened, big smile plastered on his... how does he do that?

"Give us a minute." I dragged Yosuke away from the bear so I could try to snap him out of his daze.

Now how should I do this? I could try talking to him and try to bring him back gently or...

… Slap. "Yosuke." Slap. "Yosuke." Slap. "Yosuke." Slap "Yosu-"

"NO GET IT AWAY! … Huh? Seta? What's going on? … Did you just slap me?"

"Well, yeah. You were completely out of it after... something happened. Anyway, I got that bear to agree to get us out of here but we have to promise to help him find out who's causing problems in this world. Since that's pretty much what we were gonna do regardless, I say we do it."

"Dude, you sure we can trust that thing? I don't know why but he really weirds me out." Huh. That wasn't what I meant when I talked about 'repressing' but I'll take it. If he doesn't remember then that's a problem solved for me.

"He seems harmless enough." Yep. No way could the creature filled with a yawning darkness possibly pose a threat.

"Fine. If you're sure then... I guess I'm in too."

We walked back over to the bear thing as he stared into space. "You've got a deal." I began. "We promise that if you help us then we'll catch the guy who is using this world to kill people and causing so many problems here."

"Y-yeah." Yosuke eyed the bear suspiciously.

"I'm Seta Souji. Nice to meet you."

"..." I elbowed him. "Oof. Oh. Sorry. I'm Yosuke Hanamura. So you got a name?"

"... Teddie."

"Ugh. Figures. Anyway, how're we supposed to find the culprit in the first place?" Good question.

"I dunno. But I know where the last person came in." Huh. So Yosuke was right about the entrances then. Oh well. My mistake.

"Last person? … You mean Saki-senpai?" Yosuke's mood seemed to brighten at this a little.

"I mean the person who came in and disappeared last time. I don't know the name. I'll take you there. You might find clues. Oh! You should put these on first though." Teddie pulled out two pairs of glasses from his... from somewhere and handed them to us.

"What're these for?" Yosuke asked. He put them on and his eyes behind the lenses went wide. "Whoa! The difference is like night and day! It's like the fog doesn't even exist!"

I put on the pair I was given and Yosuke was right. Well, mostly. The fog was still there but I could see thirty feet away rather than three. "Where did you get these?" I asked Teddie.

"I made 'em! I'm a beary capable bear!"… Gonna pretend I didn't hear that. "You guys can rely on me! Those glasses'll help you see through the fog." Teddie explained. "Now I can take you to where that person came in but you guys will have to defend yourselves."

"What? What happened to being able to rely on you? Th-there better not be any monsters, got it?" Note to self: Yosuke gets angry when he's scared. "I mean we brought weapons but they're mostly for show..." Really? Here I was expecting this golf club to turn into a shotgun or something.

"Nuh-uh. No way. I've got no muscles. Oh! But I could give you guys moral support from a safe distance. How's that sound?" Teddie smiled to himself. He expected that would be good enough.

I disagreed. In the form of a palm thrust to the face.

… Okay. No way did I hit him hard enough to cause that. "H-help!" Teddie squealed as he wriggled around on the floor helplessly. He wasn't lying then. He is now though. Lying _down_ that is. Heheh. Heh.

… Sorry.

"Ugh, this is so lame." Hey, I said I was sor- Oh. You can't hear my thoughts. Right. "Is this thing for real?"

"Doesn't matter." I answered Yosuke's rhetorical question. "We need him so we can get out of here. Let's help him up so we can get going."

* * *

"What is this place...? It looks just like the shopping district."

Yosuke's observation wasn't wrong. The place Teddie led us to looked like an exact replica of the shopping district in Inaba. Except foggier.

"Weird places have appeared here recently." Teddie explained for us.

"Why are you standing so far away from us anyway?" Yosuke asked him. "You better not be planning to high-tail it if something comes up!"

"O-of course not! I-I'm just keeping my distance so I don't... you know... get in the way." Liar.

Yosuke seemed as doubting as I was but chose to ignore the obvious lie. "But why replicate this place, anyway? I mean they really went all out on it."

"How should I know?" Teddie whined. "This is reality for the one who's here."

"Yosuke sighed. "As usual, nothing you say makes any sense... Wait." Yosuke realised something. "If this is the shopping district then we're not far from Saki-senpai's..." He trailed off before running further ahead, leaving Teddie and I confused and with no choice but to follow him.

We caught up to him outside of a building that had a similar entrance to the one that led to that creepy hotel room.

"I knew it! This is the liquor store that senpai's parents run. So that means... senpai disappeared here?"

"Well that door confirms something, at least. Saki and Mayumi Yamano were both in this world before they died.

Out of nowhere, Teddie started to look distraught. "W-wait a second! They're here!"

"Huh?" Yosuke and I turned to Teddie and said at the same time

"Shadows! I had a feeling they were going to attack."

"What are you talking about? What are-" My questions died as I sensed movement from behind me.

* * *

MOOHAHAHAHA! I am an evil, evil man!

Well, no. Not evil. Just wanted to get this whole bit out of the way, really. This chapter was a pain since it's so full of exposition and circuitous conversations. I was practically smashing my head into my keyboard in frustration during the talk with Teddie. This brings me to an important point. If anyone has access to a script for Persona 4 or knows where I could find one, that would be awesome. As it stands I'm using Giant Bomb's Erun of the game and transcribing it is slow and annoying.

Before anyone asks, Seta was listening to Kireida by Sukima Switch. Yes I've been using their music a lot but I don't know much Japanese music. It's either Switch or anime themes.

Anyway, REVIEWS!

**slicerness**: Glad you noticed them. And SamJaz speaks truth. I've not gone insane. There is purpose to the numbers. No spare pairing, I promise. I've planned the relationships out too, don't worry.

**AthanMortis**: … You've given me something to think about.

**Varanus**: You give me far too much credit. But I'll take that credit anyway, so thankee! And I've said all I'm gonna say about pairings.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Well, I see P4 as a more character driven story while P3 was pretty much all about the protagonist. So I'm hoping to have the characters grow and change as the story progresses. It'll probably be less epic but still a good story in it's own right.

**Gryphon117**: I've been over the details with him already. He's given the OK for pretty much all the tweaks I've had in mind so far. No need to worry.

**Patcheresu**: … Uhh … What? I don't … What?

So that's the chapter done. As usual, thanks for reading. Next chapter: FIGHTING!


	7. Yosuke Hanamura

Black goo.

That's what it looked like. Black goo slithering around on the floor with a blue mask somehow attached to it. Yosuke fell backward, practically paralysed with fear.

The things... Shadows, Teddie called them. They looked at me. Without a hint of hesitation they headed straight for me, ignoring Yosuke as they passed him. As they neared they began to rise into the air and change shape. The goo gathered into a near spherical shape as the mask remained facing me, almost as if it was staring at me. They began to change colour. Rather than plain black, it now donned a pink and black stripe pattern. Still floating, the shadow flipped itself forwards to reveal what was on the other side. A giant mouth, complete with a long demonic tongue and oddly human-like teeth.

Shadows are strange.

-I art thou-

That voice!

-Thou art I-

Much gentler this time. It still aches but it's bearable, at least.

-The time has come. Open thine eyes. Call forth what is within!-

I did as the voice told me. In my hand was a card. Blank. Wait. It's not. Like there's something but at the same time there isn't. A bright light began to shine out of the card and just like that, I knew what to do.

"Per.."

One little word.

"so..."

That brings the power of your soul to bear.

"..._na!_"

As I uttered the last syllable a from appeared on the card before it ignited with blue flame. It didn't burn. It wasn't even warm. That made the next step much easier.

I crushed the card in my hand. I could only describe the feeling as relief as the power flowed through and out of me. The feeling of pressure that power inflicted on me forced me to scream in pain but I held firm. This was necessary. This was what had to happen.

As the feeling receded, I knew what was standing behind me. My persona.

Izanagi.

I swung the golf club in my left hand lazily before switching it to my right.

Shadows, huh?...Bring it on.

I dashed for the closest shadow, ducking on instinct before it's long and undoubtedly heavy tongue could connect with my head. I swing my club horizontally with as much force as my untrained arms could manage and struck the floating mouth right in the teeth. Several of said teeth shattered from the impact.

Violence is fun!

"On your left!" Teddie shouted a warning. I jumped to the right to dodge the new enemy that appeared to back up it's buddy. Looks like they're teaming up now. Fun.

"Any ideas?" I asked anyone who would answer.

"Shadows have weaknesses! Just try stuff out and see if anything works!" was the high-pitched reply I received.

Try stuff out, eh? Okay. I summoned the card in my hand and crushed it, mentally choosing a random skill since I didn't understand what any of them were. What the hell language is 'Zio' anyway?

...Seems it means electricity. And also 'thing mouthballs really don't like' since the one I hit with the attack was twitching on the floor. This just got a whole lot easier.

"It's weak against electricity! Zap it!"

I summoned the skill again and used it on the shadow that was still floating. It didn't fall to the floor like the first. Instead it exploded, splashing it's surroundings with some sort of odd, foul-smelling substance.

Now, how to kill the other one... I think I'll vent a little with this one. I stuck the head of the golf club into it's still open mouth as the tongue continued to twitch. Then lift – heavier than I thought – and slam. Lift and slam. Lift and slam!... I should have thought this through more.

The shadow exploded the same way the other one did. Only this time I got covered with the slime too. "Aww, I'm still wearing my uniform, dammit!" I mean I have a spare but still. Eww. At least it's over though.

I summoned Izanagi once more so I could get a good look at it. Humanoid in shape but distinctly not human. For one thing, the lower half of it's legs were blades. I don't remember the part in Izanagi's myth where he chopped off his feet, Gold Lion Shiki style. However, the legs were nowhere near as menacing as the fifteen-foot naginata in his right hand. If you were to remove the pole, the blade would still resemble a katana. He wore a long dark-coloured coat. A white mask covered his face, long ribbons hung from it and swayed in the air. Yellow eyes could be seen but I couldn't tell whether they were his actual eyes or just part of the mask.

The overall effect was an aura of 'don't screw with me little worm or I will mess you up'.

I like it.

I turned to look for Teddie and Yosuke to make sure they were okay but the fact that Yosuke was already right there with a huge grin on his face said as much.

"Whoa! What was that? Did I hear you say 'Persona'? What was it – I mean, what did you do?"

"Well if you'd let me-"

"Hey, you think I could do it too?"

Teddie waddled up to us to interrupt Yosuke's excited babbling. "Calm down, Yosuke. You're troubling sensei!" Eh?

"S-sensei?" Yosuke asked, puzzled.

Teddie ignored him. "Gosh almighty! That was amazing, sensei! I am one impressed bear! I can't believe you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the shadows were scared of you. Did you already face yourself?"

That's a good point, now that I think about it. Yosuke was defenceless and closer. Why did the shadows head straight for me instead?

… Did they know, somehow?

Sudden violence gained my attention. Yosuke pushed Teddie, causing him to roll back and forth on the spot before landing on his feet again. How does he do that? "Dude, you call him 'sensei' and don't show _me_ any respect?"

"Sorry..."

Yosuke actually looked a little guilty at that. "W-well, your support wasn't bad, though. I gotta give you some credit for that."

"Huh? R-really? Heehee!" Ahh, flattery. Best way to apologise when you don't really want to _actually_ apologise.

"Alright. You two keep it up and I think we'll be fine from here out. Let's get back to it." Yosuke lead the way towards the portal that was the entrance to the Konishi liquor store. But before we reached the entrance we started hearing strange disembodied voices.

One day. Just one where I don't hear spooky voices. 'S all I ask.

Most of the voices were bad-mouthing Junes, blaming it for all of the problems in the world, up to and including cancer. Or were they saying the store was a cancer? I dunno. I just heard the word cancer.

Then the voices got a bit more relevant. They started talking about Saki as if she were traitor scum for working at Junes. Understandably, Yosuke wasn't taking this well. "Hey... Hey, Ted! You said this place is reality for those that are here, right? So does that mean... this was senpai's reality when she wandered in here?"

… _Oh._

"I... only know about what's over here." Teddie said apologetically.

"... Fine. Whatever's going on here, we're going to find out ourselves."

I decided to stay quiet and followed him through the portal.

This is gonna get worse before it gets better.

* * *

Through the portal was exactly what you'd expect from the inside of a liquor store. Shelves lined with bottles of various spirits, advertisements for different brands, and spooky voices.

No liquor store is complete without spooky voices.

Actually, it was just one voice. And Yosuke quickly figured out who it was. "I-Is this... senpai's dad?"

"_You know what the neighbours say about you right? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're the eldest daughter of a family that owned this store for generations! Is it the money? Or did you meet some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE of all places!"_

"I... I can't believe this. She seemed like she had fun at work... She never said anything about this to me. You're telling me _this_ was how senpai really saw things?"

Stay quiet. Nothing you say will make things easier.

Yosuke noticed something on the counter nearby. He picked it up. "These photos... This is... This is the staff photo we took with the other part-timers at Junes. But why's it cut up like this?" I looked over his shoulder at the photo. Yosuke and Saki were next to each other, smiling.

Saki's eyes did not match the rest of her expression.

"_I... never had the chance to say it._" Well I wasn't expecting this.

"Is that... senpai's voice?" Yes it is. Now you get to hear it straight from her. It'll be easier in the long run but...

"_I always wanted to tell Hana-chan..._"

"Huh? Me?" This is gonna suck.

"_... that he was a real pain in the ass."_

Harsh.

"_The only reason I was nice to him was because he was the store manager's son. That's all. But he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic. What a dip_."

Harsher than I expected, even.

"P-pain in the ass?"

"_Who cares about Junes, anyway? Because of that store our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbours talk behind my back... I wish everything would just disappear!_"

"I-it's a lie." Nope. "This can't be." It is.

I shuddered involuntarily. Is it cold in here or something?

"Senpai's not like that!" Yosuke shouted at the ceiling.

However, Yosuke's anguish was cut off by... Yosuke? "I**t's soooo sad. I feel so sorry for myself. Boo hoo!**"

We turned to see what the new voice was coming from. In the corner of the room stood another Youske, except this one had solid yellow eyes.

And a creepier voice. "**Actually, I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass! Hahaha!**"

"Huh? Two Yosukes!" Teddie shared in my confusion.

I whispered to him. "Teddie, what the hell is going on?"

He did not whisper back. Stupid bear. "This is beary bad! That's a shadow! _His_ shadow!"

"What?"

Yosuke's argument with... himself continued.

"**How long are you going to keep deluding yourself? Screw the shopping district and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks!**"

"What're you saying? That's not true. I-"

"**You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky because you're so terrified of being alone! You know what they say! The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation... And then he showed up.**"

Huh? Why's it looking at me? "**Transfer student from the big city, just like you. Only he was new. He was interesting. Just like that the spotlight was on him. Hitting him felt good, right? After all, he deserved it.**"

"Shut up!"

"**And what's this about you checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping.**"

"Stop it!"

"**Hahaha! Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe... I **_**do**_** know everything you're thinking. Because I **_**am**_** you!**"

"We need to stop this now or that thing is gonna go bearzerk!" Teddie warned me.

"I don't think Yosuke is even listening to us anymore. How do we stop it?"

"..."

"That's what I thought."

"**You just came because you thought it'd be a good time! What else is there to do in this shithole? I mean a world inside a TV? Now **_**that's**_** exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you?**"

"It's not true... Stop... Stop it..."

"**You're just trying to act like a big-shot! Hey! If all went well maybe you could even be a hero! And that senpai you were so sweet on? Her death was the **_**perfect**_** excuse.**"

Yosuke completely lost it. "That's not true! Who are you? What are you?"

The shadow laughed. "**I already told ya. I'm you. Your shadow. There's nothing I don't know about you.**"

"Screw that! I don't know you!" Yosuke began screaming at the shadow. "YOU CAN'T BE ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Everything was quiet for a second. Then the shadow began laughing again. First a quiet chuckle, then a mad cackle. "**Hahahaha! That's right! Say it again!**"

"Y-you're not me... You're nothing _like _me!"

"**Hmhmhmhm. Yeah. That's right. **_**I **_**am **_**me**_** now. I'm not you anymore, see?**"

The shadow began to glow brightly as dark forms seemed to flow towards it. None of us could tell what was happening, save for Yosuke – the _real _Yosuke – falling again. Probably not his fault this time... Mostly. Well technically it is since he's him and... this is getting confusing.

Eventually the light faded and the Yosuke's shadow was definitely not the way we left it. It looked like a ten foot tall man wearing rubber gloves and riding a giant frog.

I wish I was making this up.

"So... This thing probably wants to kill us, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"So I should fight it."

"Uh-huh."

"Any more helpful hints?"

"... Not really? Don't get stepped on, I guess."

"Awesome."

"**I am a shadow... The true self. I'll crush everything that bores me, starting with you!**"

The frog reared up on it's hind legs and slammed down, releasing a strong shockwave. It was too much for me to keep my balance and I fell backwards. It didn't waste it's chance and tried to stomp me into paste. I rolled left to avoid what would probably have been a fatal injury.

That was the wrong direction. I ended up directly underneath the behemoth, right where it could easily stomp me again. I caught a lucky break as I frantically scrambled to get out of the very vulnerable position. I got lucky when one of it's legs kicked me out from under it. "**How long can you survive this?**" It asked.

I sat up with a groan. "You were Yosuke, right? True self and all that? Doesn't that mean, technically, that you were the one to punch me?" I gripped my golf club tighter. "Twice."

"**Haha! Yeah. Good times.**"

"Heh. Yeah. I haven't paid him back for that yet though." I stood up fully and pointed the club at him. "You present an excellent opportunity. Aren't you lucky?"

My side ached from that kick. It was convenient since it got me out of his range but it was incredibly powerful. I need to counterattack. Now. What are the chances of Zio working again though?

… Not that bad, apparently. The bolt of lightning struck the frog head-on. It slumped forward, it's legs no longer working. Time for more experimenting. What else do I have? Rakukaja? No idea. Give it a go.

… "Nothing happened. Awesome."

"That skill made you tougher, sensei! Getting hit will do less damage to you!"

"Really? Okay, more useful than I first though then."

The frog was starting to recover from it's shock, attempting to stand up. "Can't have that." I muttered, before casting Zio attacks in quick succession. Hurts it and keeps it incapacitated. This fight'll be easier than I thought.

"Sensei! You're running low on spiritual power!"

Huh? I tried casting Zio again.

Uh-oh.

I tried another Rakukaja. That didn't work either. One more try. "CLEAVE! IZANAGI!" Izanagi flew forward and delivered a horizontal slash to the rider part of the shadow with the blade of his naginata. It was not as effective as you'd expect but it worked and that's enough for now.

"**Heh. That's it? Boring.**" the shadow taunted. It was a bluff. All of those electric attacks did some serious damage. Still, I have to go without now. This is gonna get complicated.

"SHIT!" The shadow was rearing, preparing another attack. I dove behind the counter where Teddie was hiding for cover.

"This is beary bad!"

"I noticed." I need a plan if I'm getting us all out of here. What do we have? A golf club. Near useless. A persona attack. Somewhat useful. A whole hell of a lot of glass bottles.

… Glass bottles.

"I have a plan."

"I knew you'd think of something, sensei!"

"Yeah! Break the bottoms off of two of these bottles for me."

Teddie gave me a puzzled look. "Huh? Why me?"

"If I do it I'll shred my hands on the glass. I'm gonna need those hands for the plan."

"O-okay..." Teddie timidly tapped two bottles on the counter.

"Harder. Quickly." The shadow was slowly walking over to us. Probably savouring the moment or something sadistic like that.

Two loud smash sounds later and I was armed with broken bottles in each hand. Step one. "When I get out of the way, start throwing bottles at him. Smashed or not." Step four prepared. Now for step two.

Concentrate. Concentrate. Go!

I leapt back over the counter just as a cleave attack came from behind the shadow, courtesy of Izanagi. The shadow spun around to face the new opponent but he had already faded.

I'm so glad that worked.

Step three. The shadow sufficiently distracted, I clambered up the nearest leg of the frog to reach the rider. As soon as I reached him I started slashing away with the two bottles in my hands. The shadow didn't appreciate this and started trying to grab me with it's gigantic gloved hands. I dove off of the shadow, getting clipped by one of the hands in the process.

As soon as I was clear Teddie did exactly as he was told. He'd pre-smashed some bottles and was throwing them with the little strength he had. That bear is braver than I thought. Time to give everything I've got. "IZANAGI!" I roared as I summoned him for another mess of cleave attacks.

Inevitably, the shadow succumbed to the combined assault. With a scream, the frog and rider began to dissipate into the same ichor as the shadows from before. It was less explosive which was a mercy.

I felt a surge as I tried to catch my breath. It didn't help. However, I suddenly had a new persona skill. Rakunda. I can guess what it does. If I'm right I might even be able to do some real damage even with a damn golf club.

I sat down on the floor and leaned on the counter, being careful to avoid the broken glass. That fight took everything out of me. All of my 'spiritual power' as Teddie called it. And if that cleave attack still worked after I ran out then it must run on something else. Based on how completely drained I am, I'd say it was physical power.

Teddie went over to Yosuke – the real one – as he was still laying on the floor... Right next to a broken bottle.

… If I hadn't used that plan, the shadow would've killed him anyway. It was necessary this time but I'll be more careful in future.

No one else dies here.

He groggily started to stand up. "Are you okay, Yosuke?" Teddie asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah. What happened?"

"Your shadow went bear-err, I mean berserk. Tried to kill us. Almost succeeded." I answered, still sitting on the floor. I grabbed a nearby non-smashed bottle.

'Absolut Blue Label Vodka'

… I'm underage.

… I just attacked a giant frog monster with broken glass.

… Screw it. My life will clearly be too short if it continues like this. I opened the bottle and took a sizable drink from it.

Then did a spit-take as I saw shadow Yosuke was still alive, if a whole lot more docile. It even looked a little sad.

"You... You're not... me." Yosuke told it.

"That thing came from you Yosuke. You have to admit it or it'll go bearzerk again." Next person that says that has this bottle shoved where the sun don't shine.

"Yep. That thing is you." I interjected. "You wanted to play hero. And you hated me at least a little since I got here." He opened his mouth to shout a protest. "But a hero is the guy who steps forward and _does something_, regardless of his motivation. And despite your initial opinion of me, you never acted on it... What I'm trying to say is there's more to you than the things your shadow said."

"... Dammit... It hurts to face yourself. I mean I knew it wasn't lying but... I was so ashamed I didn't want to admit it." He turned to face his shadow. "You're me... and I'm you. When you get down to it, all of this is me."

The shadow nodded and faded away. The instant it did another figure replaced it, floating in the air above where the shadow stood. It looked not unlike the rider from it's shadow form. Except it was dressed in what looked like a white disco outfit and a red scarf. Somehow I knew it's name.

The persona. Jiraiya.

"... This is my persona..." He sat down next to me. He looked about as tired as I was. "When we heard senpai's voice, I wonder if that was something she was keeping deep down inside. Heh. 'He was a real pain in the ass', huh? What a way to find out. Geez, this is so embarrassing."

I offered him the bottle. He refused. Good man.

I took another drink. I started coughing a bit. It burned more than I thought it would.

Yosuke turned to me. "If you weren't here, I don't know what woulda happened. Thanks, Seta."

"N-no problem." I replied in a weak voice. I cleared my throat in an attempt to fix it. "Besides, it wasn't all me. You should've seen Teddie! Lobbing bottles like freaking hand-grenades!" I chuckled a little at the memory.

"Teddie is here to help!" Teddie announced, referring to himself in the third-person.

"Yeah." I continued. "We're all in this together. We all faced your personal demons. Just promise to help me with mine if they ever show up and we're even." I finished with a smile.

"...Heh. Yeah! You got it, partner!"

* * *

Teddie lead the way back to the entrance while me and Yosuke followed, barely keeping pace with the bear. Out of nowhere, Yosuke spoke up with an insight.

"Hey, Ted? Could senpai have been attacked by her other self here like how it happened to me?"

"I think so. The shadows here were all born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears and they all go b-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" I yelled.

"... crazy. They go crazy. And you saw what happens next. A strong-willed shadow draws others to it and the big mass of shadows kills the host."

"So that's why people die when it gets foggy in our world..." Yosuke said.

I posed my own question. "Teddie, how did you know that it gets foggy in our world when the fog clears here?"

"Huh?" Both Teddie and Yosuke asked.

"I mean I said people die on foggy days but I didn't know why I said it. Then you said the fog clears here when fog descends in our world. How do you know? You said you've never been to our world."

"... I... I don't know." Teddie looked confused, like he hadn't noticed this discrepancy.

"... Interesting. So all you remember is being here in this world but you have knowledge of other places even though there was no one to tell you of them?"

"I guess so?"

"... Problem for another time, then. We'll help with that too, if we can. Right Yosuke?"

"Uhh, sure. Why not."

* * *

"So those places formed when Saki-senpai and Yamano-san arrived here?"

Yosuke and I were continuing to ask Teddie about the rules of this world.

"Yeah. It seems that way. Those places weren't there until I sensed someone else in this world."

"So Yamano-san and Saki-senpai got thrown in here, wandered around and got attacked like we were?" Yosuke asked, beginning to understand.

"No. They weren't attacked by regular shadows like we were. No shadows attacked them until the fog cleared. I'd guess it was their own shadows that killed them after going be-" I glared at him. "Crazy."

"Wait." I spoke for the first time in a while. "So if someone gets thrown in here we might be able to get them out if we find them before the fog clears?"

"Probably. The shadows'll attack us. I guess they don't like people investigating this place. But anyone not here of their own will will probably be fine until we get to them. Long as we get to them before the fog clears."

"... That's great!" I exclaimed. I turned to Yosuke. "While we try to find out who's doing this we can make sure they don't kill anyone else!"

"Dammit. If I'd've been here on my own I would've been in much deeper trouble. And Yamano-san and Saki-senpai had no one here to help them. We need to make sure it never happens again." Yosuke was clearly determined. I was right about the hero thing then.

We finally reached the entrance. Man, even walking is exhausting for me now. I'll have to stop by the food court before going home.

"Okay. I'll let you guys out now. I'll wait for you to come back here. Remember, you need to come in from the same place so we can meet up. If not, you might show up someplace I can't get to you. Then you'd be doooooomed." Teddie warned us. Yes. He extended the 'ooooooo'. "Got it?"

"Got it. We'll be back when something comes up."

"Can you show us the exit now?" Yosuke asked, clearly anxious to leave.

"Roger that! One exit, comin' right up!" He wiggled his arm again and TVs appeared out of nowhere, just like last time.

"Cool! Now to check that there aren't any employees milling around out there."

"Okay! Go go go! Squiiiiiish! Teddie shoved us through the TVs. Again, just like last time.

I'm gonna throttle him the next time I see him.

Or I would, if he had a neck.

* * *

A/N: Pa-pow! _That _was a fun chapter to write. A hugely welcome change of pace.

**IT'S REVIEWIN' TIME!** Or... reviewin' responsin' time? Or... Shut up! I wanted to make the joke.

**Patcheresu**: Yep. Painfully aware of TVTropes. Aside from it eating up significant amounts of my time, I've noticed a certain _someone_ added me to the Fairly English Story page. Can't imagine who.

**Kisdota etc etc**: YOU TALK AND LAUGH LIKE GOD ENEL FROM ONE PIECE. THIS AMUSES ME. YAHAHAHAHA! As for your questions, yeah. Yosuke was a bit OOC for a minute there but I hated how much he was a Whiney Whinerson about the whole thing. I'd like to think I made that work with this chapter. Yes, Seta is a bit of a know-it-all. It's hard to explain why. I could give an in-depth explanation but I'd rather it come through in the story. Pairings are set. No yaoi from me. EVER.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Music is _not_ Seta's 'thing'. He does not play an instrument or anything like that. He just likes music and has the means to listen to it often. Find me a person who doesn't like any music at all and I'll eat my hat.

**Slicerness**: You'll find out about the numbers next chapter. Probably. I forget when the necessary event happens in-game. Also, I so wanted to add a Psychonauts reference but in this story but it'd just feel awkward since all the characters are Japanese and thus wouldn't know a damn thing about that game.

**Aoirann**: I have read those comics. Waiting patiently (ish) for the next one, in fact. I don't want to overuse other people's jokes though. Wouldn't really be my work then, neh?

**Cyber Anko**: Thanks. Much appreciated.

**Varanus**: Er-hem. Yup. Deductions upon deductions. All it was.

Review time over! Thanks for the responses I didn't answer specifically. All reviews are appreciated. Don't let nobody tell ya diff'rent.

That's all for now. As always, thanks for reading.

P.S. Wasn't the Shadow Yosuke fight **_awesome_**? =D


	8. So Many Questions, So Few Answers

Chie wears shorts under her skirt. This is disappointing. Seven.

"Ahh!" she squealed, teary-eyed. "Y-you guys came baaaack!"

"Huh? Chie? What's with that face?"

I whispered to Yosuke from the floor. "The rope broke, you moron! She's been here for hours thinking we had no way back!"

As if to confirm what I said, Chie threw the rest of the rope at Yosuke. He was still tired from earlier though, so the force knocked him on his ass.

"The nerve of you guys! You are such morons! You guys suck! The rope got cut off and... I had no idea what to do! I was so worried. I mean scared stiff, dammit! I hate you both!" Chie ran off as soon as she stopped yelling.

Yosuke groggily got to his feet. "I think that... kinda sorta... might've been our fault."

"It was totally our fault." I replied, still on the floor. I'll get up when I'm good and ready, thank you.

"Yeah. Maybe we did go a little too far. We'll apologise tomorrow. I'm completely wiped out so I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower and get some sleep." More detail than I needed but whatever. He paused as if in reflection. "I think... I'm gonna sleep well tonight. See you in the morning. Heheh." He walked off, not bothering to help me up. I guess to be fair, he probably couldn't anyway in the condition he's in.

"See ya."

… Lying on the floor of a department store, smelling of booze, under age. Yeah. This'll turn out well.

I got to my feet, using the frame of the TV for support. Okay. Standing. Awesome.

Three-stage plan to not get caught. Stage one. Get food to get some strength back. Stage two. Head straight home as fast as I can manage. Stage three. Wash my uniform and take a shower before uncle gets home.

… Stage four. Stash the vodka bottle I'm carrying in my room somewhere. Heeheehee!

* * *

I got halfway through stage two before hitting a snag. As I was walking along the flood plain on the way home, Yukiko spotted me from a nearby picnic table. Two.

… Ignoring her would be rude. It's... 6:15. That means uncle will be home really soon or hours from now... Then again, after what happened today I'd be surprised if he came home at all tonight. Why am I worrying?

"Hey." I greeted as I walked over to her. We chatted simply for a few minutes. Why is she wearing a kimono?

I must've been staring. She blushed a little as she explained. "Oh. I'm running an errand for my parents." before expertly changing the subject. "A-are you getting used to your new school?"

Honest answer. "I have no idea." Seriously. For the last two days I've barely been aware that school was happening.

She smiled. "It must be difficult moving to a place you know nothing about. I've never been out of Inaba so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school."

"You get used to the routine of it if you do it enough. Show up, awkwardly introduce yourself, make a few friends, abandon those friends, move to a new place, repeat."... Too much honesty. Change the subject.

"Umm, are you getting along with Chie?" Oh. You changed it for me. That's considerate of you. "I always leave early so... um..."

… Lie. "... We're getting along." She didn't step on me earlier so that's a good sign, right?

She smiled brighter this time. "I'm glad to hear that. She's very supportive, you know? Always giving me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year too. I remember when we used to cut class sometimes..."

Yukiko cut short her reminiscing since she had somewhere she needed to be. She must be pretty busy if she can say something like 'the inn can't function without her'.

We said our goodbyes and headed in our separate directions.

Please don't be home. Please don't be home. Please don't be home...

* * *

"YES!" No car in the driveway! I'm safe!

"Welcome home." Nanako said before scrunching up her face as I walked through the door . "You smell bad." Well said, Nanako. Eight.

She's definitely not wrong, though. I'm surprised Yukiko didn't notice.

… Then again, she probably _did_ notice. That girl is too polite. "I'm gonna go take a bath. You need the bathroom before I take it over?"

"No, it's fine." She grumbled, face still scrunched.

I headed upstairs, taking a second to stash the three-quarter full vodka bottle in the fridge in my room, before going straight for the bathroom. Forty minutes later I was clean and my uniform rinsed and sprayed with some air-freshener before I threw it in with the wash.

No way in hell is that going to fool anyone. Have to try though.

I sat down in a fresh set of clothes at the table with Nanako. The only acknowledgement I received was a dejected sounding "Dad's late".

We watched the news together. Unsurprisingly it was another piece on the murders. They went over the basic things I already knew. The only thing of note was:

_\_The coroner's report has established her time of death at around 1:00AM last night_\_

Saki's death was shown on the midnight channel so the timeframe makes sense. Strange how convenient it is though.

"Another incident..." Nanako mumbled. "Dad won't be coming home tonight."

"No... I'll be here though." I did my best to offer a reassuring smile.

"I'll be okay. Can you help me do some stuff around the house?"

"Sure."

_\_Amagi Inn, located upstream of the Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark._\_ Hm? They're doing a piece on Yukiko's inn. Hooray for more coincidences, I guess.

_\_Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs. After the incident with Yamano-shi, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes. In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school._\_

Yukiko is on TV, waiting at a bus stop. Wait a second, I know that reporter's voice. Isn't that the same guy who did the interview with...

_\_Let's see if we can interview her! _Excuse me!__\_

Oh no.

_\_"Hm? Umm... Are you speaking to me?"_\_

_\_ We heard that you're the new manager. Is it true you're still in high school?_\_

_Run, Yukiko!_

_\_"Oh, well I'm only filling in temporarily."_\_

_\_Someday, though... That aside, wow! You are looking _gorgeous_ in that kimono! You must have a lot of male visitors!_\_

_\_"Huh? No, um..."_\_

_Run fast!_

"...This is boring."

Not the word I would use but I agree with not watching any more.

I helped Nanako with the chores around the house, even offering to do some laundry for her. Just because I'm nice like that. No ulterior motives at all.

I was upstairs by ten. I spent a while just sitting on my couch trying to process everything that's happened over the last few days. Everything seems to have happened all at once so it's hard to keep track.

So there's a world on the other side of TVs that warps to match the mind of people who go there. If people stay too long then the fog that covers it disappears and this causes the 'shadows' – the parts of that person's personality that they don't like – to go insane and kill them. Then there's persona, which if I'm understanding right is a person's shadow that they accept as part of themselves. Except for mine for some reason. And there's a magical bear that lives in this TV world.

… Or I'm going insane.

Occam's razor. Simplest explanation is the correct one.

So I'm going or have already gone insane. Nothing I can do about it. Might as well roll with it.

Midnight. Time for super crazy TV fun time.

I walked over to the TV as an image started to form on the screen. However, this time something was different. The first time I watched it the image was clear but constantly switched back and forth from the image to static. This time it's incredibly blurry. I can barely even make it out. There's barely any colour either.

A woman. Dark hair. Wearing a kimono.

… Nah. Every woman in Inaba probably owns at least one kimono. It'd be foolish to jump to the conclusion that it's Yukiko.

Yosuke'll have watched this too. Time for some well-deserved and _much_ needed sleep.

* * *

"Welcome."

… Blue. Freaky-looking guy, bored-looking girl. I know these people.

"Not this again."

Nose-man – what was his name, again? – chuckled. "It seems you remember your first visit with us. Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world. I have summoned you within your dreams."

IGOR! Igor, that was it. The velvet room. And... Mar... something.

"Thanks, I guess. It's a nice place you have here."

"This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter.", Marmar spoke. "In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken and chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice, thereby enacting the glorious awakening to your power." Yes. Your monotone makes it sound absolutely thrilling.

Waaaaitaminute. "Inner voice? Power? You guys know what's going on?"

Igor just smiled knowingly at me. So he's not going to tell me anything he feels I don't need to know yet. Great. "Hold on to this." he told me.

A blue key appeared in front of me out of nowhere and floated down into my hand.

"From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone your power and for that, you will inevitably require our help."

"Fantastic. I appreciate it. So what kind of help are we talking about here?"

"We will discuss that in due time. For now, understand that there is but one price for this assistance. You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."

I hope by 'contract' he means the promise I made Teddie. Otherwise I have no idea what he's talking about. "So you help me and all you want in return is for me to do what I said I was going to do? I don't take promises lightly so in that there's nothing to worry about."

"Very well." That really is an unnerving smile he has. I think it's the eyes that does it. "Look inside yourself. The persona you have acquired, you may think of it as... a facade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life."

Note to self: look up the term 'persona'.

"Your persona ability, however, is that of the wild card. Compared to that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero. Empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."

Zero. I wonder if he meant to do that. "That's too specific a metaphor. Whenever I see myself I think 'Zero'. My cousin is Eight. My friends are One and Seven. What do the numbers mean?"

"Hmhmhm. You are a fool. That is all I will tell you."

"Okay, okay! If you wanna stay cryptic that's fine. No need to resort to insults."

His grin spread wider... That wasn't an insult. Google search for later: persona, shadow, fool. "The persona ability is the ability to control one's own heart. And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own social links will gradually develop. The power of these social links is what will determine your persona's abilities."

… What? "You've lost me again. So... my persona gets stronger when I make _friends_?"

Marmar spoke up again. "Your social links are necessary for more than strengthening your persona. At times, they will light the way to the truth you are searching for."

Okay then. So I make friends with psychos and maybe one will be the killer. Then because I was friends with him my persona will be stronger and I can beat him down.

… Makes sense to me?

"Where will your awakened power of the Wild Card take you? I look forward to travelling the road of your destiny together." Igor began to chuckle again. Guess he does that a lot. "'Til we meet again."

My view of the velvet room faded.

Persona. Shadow. Fool.

Time to get some answers.

* * *

Carl Jung, huh? Bet this guy knew a man with a long nose.

I spent the my time before school in my room, reading up on everything I could find out about persona. Carl Jung described the concept the same way Igor did; as a facade to deal with life's hardships. Something else he spoke of was what he called the 'Fool's Journey' which was basically an outline of a person's life using the major arcana of a tarot deck as the basis for each stage.

The fool is major arcana number zero.

And suddenly this is all starting to make more sense. About time something did. I printed off a cheat sheet of all of the major arcana so I could start learning which corresponds to what number. I get the feeling this is going to be important pretty soon.

* * *

I was on my way to school when "Yo, Seta!" Yosuke showed up on his bike.

"Dude! Yosuke! I know things! The world makes sense again... sort of!" He gave me a puzzled look. "Oh, uhh... I'll explain later. It'll take a while."

"... Okay? A-anyway, you saw what was on last night, right?" I looked through my list for his number. One is... magician? Okay then.

"Yeah. Woman in a kimono." I looked up from the list. "It wasn't just me that thought it was blurrier than last time, right?" I asked.

"No. You're right. Both times I saw... It was clear but flickery. I couldn't tell who it was this time but if someone appears on TV we can't ignore it. We should check it out after school. Maybe Teddie can tell us. I mean he'll know if someone's in there again, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. Did you check the weather? Any fog coming?"

"None. It's safe for a while." He paused, looking sullen. "If it turns out someone was thrown in again, there really might be a culprit behind all this. Even if it is something about that place that's killing people... If someone's using that place as a weapon, that's unforgivable!" His face flashed anger. "We need to find the culprit. No matter what it takes!"

He's... really angry. "Yosuke, don't make this personal. We're doing this because no one else can, remember?"

"... Fine." He shook off the irritation that was showing clear in his expression. "You know I tried sticking my head in the TV the way you did and it actually worked! I think I can do that now because I have the same power. Persona, was it? Could be we got this gift from someone specifically so we could solve this case."

"Thou art the one who opens the door..." I mumbled. Yosuke looked at me curiously. "Nothing. We'll talk about it at lunch. There's a lot to go over."

He let it drop. "Sure. Okay... You know, I feel like as long as you're with me I can find the culprit and crack this case. Let's do our best!" He grinned and offered his hand.

I took it. And as soon as I did time seemed to stop.

**SMASH!**

The hell?

A card appeared in front of me. On it was a pair of hands seeming to conjure fire.

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Magician Arcana._

… I knew that list would come in handy.

The card vanished and everything returned to normal. Yosuke was looking at me oddly again.

I hope that thing with the spooky voice doesn't happen every time I make a friend. That would get annoying fast. Also annoying is that I still don't know how exactly this makes me stronger.

… And how long have I been holding Yosuke's hand?

I let go as soon as I realised and turned to carry on walking. "C'mon, we should get to school."

* * *

Yosuke and I were waiting in our classroom when Chie rushed in, looking panicked. She immediately ran over to us. "Uh... Chie?" Yosuke was the first to speak. "Um... About yesterday... We're sorry we worried you." he said with as much guilt in his voice as possible. He's just trying to avoid another nut-shot.

Not that I blame him.

"Never mind about that. Is Yukiko still not here?" Chie sounded as nervous as she looked.

"Yukiko-san? Uhh, no? At least I haven't seen her today."

"Oh, man... What should I do?... Hey, is that stuff you were talking about for real?"

I looked at Yosuke questioningly. "I called her to explain what happened." he answered my unasked question.

I answered Chie. "Oh. Well in that case, if he told you about persona, shadows and someone killing people using the TV world then yeah. It's for real."

"Actually, we were just talking about that. Someone was on last night so we're thinking of checking it out later."

"The person on TV yesterday... I think it was Yukiko." Chie admitted, trying to look calm.

Hooray for jumping to conclusions. "Okay. Aside from the fact the woman on TV was wearing a kimono and remembering that most women in town probably own one, what makes you think it was Yukiko?"

"Well the kimono looked just like the one she wears at the inn! And she wore it in that interview a few days ago too!"

"A few days ago?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was on TV last night! Didn't you see it?"

I tried to explain. "No, I mean that interview was filmed days ago. And shown last night. That means that train wreck of an interview wasn't just spur-of-the-moment? Someone handed that video to an editor who presumably knows what he's doing and he said to show it to the public? Who the hell is running that sho-"

"That's not the issue here!" Chie interrupted.

"Darn well should be..." I grumbled. She gets annoyed at me then she's less focused on worrying about Yukiko. Not like I'm just being mean.

And someone really _should_ get fired at that TV station.

"Urgh! Look! I tried e-mailing her last night and she hasn't responded! I called her in the evening and she said she'd be at school today! I..." she trailed off.

"Calm down, we get the picture. You still haven't heard from her?" Yosuke asked, doing a fine job as the supportive guy.

"No..."

"Give her another call. We shouldn't jump to conclusions just because she didn't respond to an e-mail." I suggested.

"Y-you're right." Chie pulled out her phone and called Yukiko's mobile phone. I took the opportunity to look at the list again. Chie is seven so... Chariot.

…

"No good. It went to voicemail. She's not answering..." Chie whined.

"Whoa, seriously? Could she really be inside that place?" What the hell happened to being supportive, Yosuke?

"Shut up! Something must've come up! Like an errand or something! Or... Or maybe she's working at the inn! I mean she couldn't answer her phone if that's it!"

"But w-OW!" I stomped on Yosuke's foot to shut him up.

"I-I'll give the inn a call... I've got the number here somewhere..." She tried calling the inn, mumbling "pick up" every now and again as she waited.

…

…

… "Oh, is that Yukiko?" She paced her hand over the phone "Thank god, she's there!" and released it again. "Uh-huh... uh-huh... I see. Nah, it's nothing. I'll e-mail you again later." Chie closed her phone and looked back at us. "She was over at the inn." she confirmed with a relieved smile on her face. "They had a big group reservation so she had to help out. Now that I think about it this happened before, at least once a year. She'll be at the inn tomorrow too. For crying out loud, Yosuke! You got me worried over nothing! She was totally fine! And you were all 'Is Yukiko-san inside that place?' Hmph!"

Heheh. I get her mad, You get her madder. You're a good friend, Yosuke. "S-sorry." he apologised. "But there is a reason we thought that."

"Oh, yeah? What?"

"Yeah, what?" I echoed. I don't know what he's talking about either.

"Well we thought people showed up on the midnight channel because they're already in that world. It makes sense right? People are on TV because they're inside the TV."

"It bodes well that we're using the logic of toddlers, but go on."

"Yukiko-san is still here in our world! We might want to see what this is about."

"... We'll check with Teddie after school to see if anyone else is in there. If not, we can assume it's Yukiko and decide on what to do about it."

* * *

Lunchtime. Yosuke and I were on the roof as I tried to explain what happened last night.

"So an old man visits you in your dreams." Yosuke was trying his best to keep a straight face.

He was not succeeding.

"Hear me out. So while I was on the train to Inaba I had this vision of an old man in what he called the Velvet Room. He said I'd encounter a misfortune at my destination and a mystery would be imposed upon me. Last night, I saw him again and he told me all sorts of stuff. Highlights include what those voices I was hearing were – my persona – and what persona really is. He even explained the numbers I've been seeing when I look at people." Yosuke gave me a funny look. "... I... Hadn't told you about that yet, huh? Hm. Well for example, you're One, Chie is Seven, my cousin is Eight, my uncle is Five, Teddie is Seventeen..."

"What're you?" he asked, skeptical.

"... Zero."

"... Hmhmhmhm. Hahahaha! You're a zero! Even in your own head! You need to work on your self-esteem, dude!"

I ignored his laughter. "Yeah, that's what I thought at first too. But according to that Igor guy, the fact that I'm Zero means my power is somehow different from yours."

"Different how? You gonna use it to obliterate Britannia?"

"Funny. I don't know. He didn't really say. Just that my power is 'empty but with limitless possibilities'."

"What's that mean?"

"I don't know yet. But the whole thing might explain how I got a persona without facing my shadow like you did. It was something the voices said. 'Thou art the one who opens the door.' Someone gave me the ability to pass into the TV world along with a persona. Just like you said, someone gave us this power so we could solve this case!"

"Dude, I was just throwing ideas out there."

"Well I think that one was right."

"So is there anything else the voices in your head told you?"

"Making friends gives me superpowers."

Yosuke pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Let's... Let's just get back to class. You're giving me a headache. Remember we're meeting up at Junes later."

"Yeah okay."

* * *

Yosuke, Chie and I met up in the electronics department of Junes. I was in the middle of going over last night's events with Chie when...

"...So then I started stabbing at Yosuke's giant frog rider shadow with the broken bottles and-"

"Okay, okay. That's enough of that." Yosuke interrupted my tale of victory and badassery.

"If I hadn't seen the place first hand... I'd never have believed a story like that. Not that I believe the barfighter part."

"Hey, it's not like I'm saying I beat it alone! Teddie helped but Yosuke interrupted before I could get to that!" I glared at Yosuke to show my displeasure. He just shrugged it off.

_Vengeance_.

"ANYway. We need to know what's going on inside."

"... Alright. Cover me." I told Yosuke.

"Huh?"

"Block those customers' view of this TV so I can talk to Teddie." I explained, inclining my head to indicate the nearby group of shoppers.

"Oh, right. Chie, come make a wall with me." Yosuke whispered, understanding my meaning.

As soon as Chie and Yosuke were in place I stuck a hand in the TV and made a beckoning motion, trying to get Teddie's attention.

"OW SON OF A...!" Little bastard bit me! I put on my pair of glasses and put my head through the TV and came face to face with a smiling Teddie.

"Is this a game?" he asked, oblivious.

"You bit me!"

"... You're mad. Not a game?"

"No, not a game! Look, is there anyone else in this world right now?" I asked resisting the urge to hit him.

"Who's 'anyone'? I'm a lonely little bear like always. This land... feels so... bear-ren! Heehee!"

I pulled my head out of the TV and looked at Yosuke. "I'm gonna kill him. He makes one more damned _bear pun_ and I'm gonna kill him!"

"Focus! We need to know if anyone's in there or not."

"I already asked. He says it's empty like always." I put my head back in. "Thanks." I told Teddie. "Don't bite me again."

As I pulled my head back out Yosuke and Chie were in the middle of a conversation. "So you'll walk with her to school on Monday?"

"Yeah. She'll be busy at the inn all weekend so she should be safe for now."

"Good. We should all watch the midnight channel again tonight to make sure." He turned to me. "Don't forget. Oh, and we should exchange cell numbers. I'll call when it's on tonight."

"Yeah, yeah." I opened my phone to save his number. "So where do they sell plasters here? That red and blue bastard drew blood."

* * *

Dinner with Nanako was uneventful. Uncle never showed up as could be expected. I spent the hours between dinner and midnight reading up on tarot and the fool's journey. By the time the midnight channel appeared I had a simple understanding of both.

But no understanding of what the hell I was seeing.

_\_Good _eeeevening_! Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a _big_ surprise!_\_

_\_I'm gonna go score myself a hot stud!_\_

None at all.

* * *

A/N: Not much to say about this chapter. Just getting all of this stuff out of the way before things kick off in Yukiko's castle.

Reviews! Babam!

**Gryphon117**: Well it's not like Teddie's feat of badassery actually did anything. But it was a damn fine distraction while Seta brought the pain.

**SamJaz**: I hate hate HATE "its/it's". It's the one bit of grammar that never made sense to me.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Glad you enjoyed. Theoretically, a reference might work but I would _really_ have to work to fit it in and it doesn't seem worth the effort for a minor throwaway gag. I'm not happy about it either.

**Patcheresu**: Blame was misplaced. Whoops. Heheh.

**Kisdota**: I don't remember saying it bled... YAHAHAHA!... That laugh. It's infectious.

**TGWTG**: … Nope. There is no way in hell Doug Walker is reading my fic. While I know that to be true, it makes me a little sad inside. Thanks for reading and reviewing though.

Reviews over. Next chapter we get arrested. Yay!

Thanks for reading.


	9. Preparation

_\_Welcome to Not a Dream, Not a Hoax: Princess Yukiko's Hunt for her Prince Charming! And I came prepared!_\_

Uhhh...

_\_I've got my lacy unmentionables stacked from top to bottom!_\_

Err...

_\_I'm gonna catch myself a whole harem and the best of the lot is gonna be all mine! Well... Here I go!_\_

… The image disappeared.

… My phone rang. You answer phones when they ring. I answered it and put it to my ear.

"H-hey, did you see that?"

"Uhhh..." I nodded unconsciously. Was she grabbing her crotch...?

"That was Yukiko-san for sure! It looked like her and, I mean, she even said her name!"

"Lacy..."

"But didn't the stuff she was saying sound weird? And she looked like she was on some low-budget TV-show. Was it like this before too?"

"Unmentionables..."

"Would you snap out of it and focus! This is serious dammit!"

I slapped myself in the face three times, hard. "Ahh! Sorry. I'm good now."

"What's going on?"

"... Did she really just grab her crotch...?"

"YES, now FOCUS!"

"Sorry, sorry. Uhh... The picture was clear this time, right?" Yes... very clear.

"Yeah..."

"Every time it's been clear so far, the person displayed was in that world. That means..."

"... Yukiko is in there now."

"Call Chie. She watched this too. She probably knows what it means. Reassure her. We will _not_ let this end the same way as last time. And Yosuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Get yourself a weapon. Tomorrow, we save Yukiko."

* * *

In the morning, I e-mailed Yosuke to tell him to meet me at the Junes food court at 11. It's a Sunday so nothing could get in the way of doing what we need to do today.

… Except a little girl sitting alone in an empty house doing nothing but watch TV all day.

I approached Nanako as she did just that. "Oh, good morning." She greeted me.

"Where's your dad?"

"He left already. He said he's gonna be late."

"Of course he did." I mumbled. That's not fair. I'm leaving too. Probably for the exact same reason, actually.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"W-well..."

"It's okay. I'll be fine by myself." she assured me, like this was the norm.

It was... That's the worst part.

Steeling my resolve, I said "See you later, Nanako." and left. I have to do this. No one else can help Yukiko.

… I still hate myself for it.

* * *

11:05 and I was sat at a table in the food court, enjoying a burger I'd bought as my breakfast.

I glanced around and saw Yosuke approaching from my right, hiding something behind his back.

"Sorry for the holdup." he apologised, "but I found some stuff in the closet at home that we can use." A grin spread across his face. "Guess what's sharper than a golf club!"

With his probably rhetorical question he whipped his hands from behind his back to reveal two swords: an aikuchi and a katana.

In a crowded food court.

With a murderer on the loose.

This will end well.

"Please put those down on the table, slowly and carefully." I requested.

"Sure! Take a closer look! Pretty sweet, huh? I mean we've got our personas but a golf club's not that reliable of a weapon. So which one strikes your fancy?"

I looked closer at the katana. Then picked up my napkin, grabbed opposite ends of it and pressed the centre against the blade.

… Nothing. "These are fake." I said, in a slightly loud voice so as to reassure the other people in the area, if only a little.

"Well, yeah. It's not like I have access to real swords. Still better than a golf club though, right?"

"No, actually. The design of a sword is for the specific purpose of slashing things. If the blade is dull then it's pretty much a big iron stick. A golf club, while not an _ideal_ weapon, is still a club, used for hitting things. At best they'd be about the same level of usefulness as weapons."

I guess I hurt his feelings. "Fine! Maybe I'll use both, huh? How about that?" He picked up the fake swords and started swinging them around wildly, trying his best to mimic fighting stances. "Like this?"

Then I noticed the guy in the police uniform by the stairs. "Uhh, Yosuke?"

"Or maybe like this!" He continued swinging like a madman. 'Well uncle, my friend is a complete moron.' 'Yes, he really brought swords to a crowded food court. Crazy, right?'

"**Yosuke!**" I hissed, and pointed to the cop talking into his radio.

."Huh?... OH crap! Uhh..." He hid the weapons behind his back. "No! No no no no no this isn't what it looks like. We didn't steal it!... Uhh, I guess that's... not what matters. A-anyway, we're not doing anything bad! We're... just two ordinary kids who like weapons and-"

"Yosuke, shut up already! You're just making things worse." I turned to the officer and put on the most respectful tone I could manage. "Officer, we apologise for the disturbance." _Breathe._ "The weapons are not real. The blades are fake."

"Put the weapons down now! We'll listen to your story at the station. Hands where I can see them too! Now!" he demanded.

Then Yosuke did something stupid. I'm sure he'll look back fondly on this moment. Yosuke put his hands out straight in front of him, swords still in hand, no more than a foot away from the officer. "B-but this isn't-" He started waving the swords back and forth. I'm assuming it was supposed to be a gesture meaning "no".

"A-are you resisting an officer of the law? You're under arrest!"

Two more officers approached from behind us.

* * *

"You didn't seem the type to pull a stupid stunt like this."

I know right? It's almost like someone was being really really stupid and I got dragged into it. I would've said that if Yosuke wouldn't hate me for it. Still the truth, though.

Dojima was lecturing me and Yosuke at the police station after getting us out of trouble.

"You know what's been going on around town. We got men stationed everywhere. You're lucky I was around or this would've ended up on your permanent record."

"We're sorry." Pfft. You be sorry, dude. I ain't done nothin'.

Two officers were chatting as they walked past us in the hallway. Their conversation was more interesting than Dojima's lecture. "So the one that disappeared was that Amagi girl?"

"Seems like it. But she's just a high-schooler, you know? Could be she just decided to run away from home."

… Gotta ask. Can't stop myself. "Uncle, please tell me those two aren't investigating the murders. Two women are murdered, a third goes missing – similar to the second murder victim, I might add – and it's _no big deal_? No cause for _alarm_?"

He did not appreciate the comment. For good reason, in hindsight. I mean I have a good reason for being pissed but I crossed a line as soon as I started. "I don't see how the way we do our job is _any_ of your damn _business_! Get the hell out of here before I have you two thrown in a cell!" He stormed off, leaving us in the hallway.

"Dude, what the hell? I waved a sword at a cop this morning and what you just said is _still_ the stupidest thing I've seen today."

"... I'd say it's more or less a tie but I get your point. I guess I heard how those cops didn't care that Yukiko-chan was missing... I got angry... I'll apologise later."

"Yeah. That's a good idea. That repression thing not as effective as you said it was?" Yosuke joked.

"Guess not." I need to work on that.

We headed for the exit when we came across a familiar face, at least to me. "Whoa, pardon me." he said when he almost bumped into me. One. Magician. Just like Yosuke.

It's gotten to the point where I only see the number when I want to. Much more convenient.

"Hey, aren't you the kid staying at Dojima-san's place?" I guess he recognised me too.

"Yeah, that's me. Seta Souji. Nice to meet you."

"Tohru Adachi. I'm Dojima-san's gof- I, uhh, mean his partner."

"Hey, can we ask you something?" Yosuke interjected. "It's about Yukiko-san. Err, I mean Yukiko Amagi of the Amagi Inn."

Adachi hesitated. "Uhh, should I really say...? Well... If you're friends with Amagi-shi... Keep this between us, okay? We got a call from her parents yesterday saying they couldn't find her anywhere. Since it was the weekend, the workers at the inn were extremely busy and no one saw Amagi-shi around that time. Oh, but that doesn't necessarily mean this is a case just yet."

"See, that's what I don't get. Two women die, one after going missing for only a day, then a third goes missing and no one bats an eye?"

"Don't misunderstand. We're definitely investigating this. This case has everyone on edge so we can't ignore someone going missing. By the way, did she say anything about maybe going through some hard times?"

I looked at Yosuke. He shrugged. "Uhh, hard times?" he asked.

"Well that announcer, Mayumi Yamano, was staying at the Amagi Inn before the first murder. Seems Yamano-shi had some harsh words for the manager about the staff's attitude towards guests. The stress caused the manager to collapse."

I saw where he was going. "You can't be serious."

"Well Amagi-shi is the manager's daughter. She must've felt pretty strongly about the incident, y'know? There's theories floating around that she might be laying low for some reason or another..." Adachi's eyes went wide. "Crap, I think I went to far. You didn't hear that, okay?"

Uncle's voice echoed down the hallway. "Adachi, what the hell are you chatting with civvies for? And where's my coffee?"

"S-sorry! I got it right here!" Adachi shouted back. "Forget I said anything. Please!" he whispered to us before walking off.

"So the police _are_ looking for Yukiko, but because they think she might be the killer." I told Yosuke while we got back to leaving the police station. "Great. So as soon as we get her back to safety, she'll be interrogated."

"That doesn't matter right now. Right now we need to save her. That's all." was his reply.

"Yeah, you're right."

"There you are!" Chie was standing next to the front desk as we approached. I tapped Yosuke on the shoulder and shook my head slightly. The message was 'don't tell her Yukiko is a suspect'. He got it.

Last thing Chie needs right now is something else to worry about.

"Sheesh, what're you guys doing? I've been looking everywhere."

"Well clearly you weren't looking for the guy waving swords around in a crowded food court!" Yosuke glared at me. I sighed. "... Or the guy mouthing off to a cop." Happy now, ya big idiot? "So I take it Yosuke explained what's going on."

"Yeah. So why the hell are you here?"

"Swords. Food court. Cops. Were you not listening? Oh, that reminds me. They confiscated your 'weapons' so you need something else, dude."

Chie's ears perked up. "Weapons? I know just the place. Follow me."

I looked at Yosuke, shrugged, and fell into step behind Chie.

* * *

"Wh-what kind of shop _is_ this?" Yosuke asked the moment we stepped into the dank interior of the building. Weapons and armour of various types lined the walls and shelves.

"It's a metalworks, I guess? They sell all sorts of metal crap like katanas and stuff."

"Ch-chie chan! You should be more respectful! This is a place of business!" I said with a forced smile as I indicated the proprietor with the wicked-looking scar spanning the left side of his face, forehead to jaw.

I do _not_ want to piss this guy off. _Ever_.

"Doesn't that seem weird to you?" Dammit Yosuke! _Respectful! _I don't wanna die here. "Why would you know about a place like this anyway?... Oh, I get it. You watched one too many kung-fu movies and-"

"It's not that at all!" She stamped her foot. "I overheard some guys in our class talking about it. They said this place sells weapons and armour. Here." She looked at a nearby suit of chainmail. "This one looks good... But it might be too heavy for me..."

Yosuke's eyebrows raised. For her? What does she mean for- vocalise, moron. "What do you mean, 'for you'?"

"I'm going too." she stated, matter-of-factly, like it was no big deal.

"WHAT?" Yosuke disagreed with that attitude. "It's too dangerous! You don't know what it's like in there. I know how you feel but-"

"You don't! You don't know shit about how I feel! Yukiko might die from this, for crying out loud! I'm going and that's that!"

I looked at Yosuke. He had nothing. Neither did I. I can't believe I lost an argument about putting someone in mortal danger. I sighed. "... You stay behind us. You stay out of the fighting. If something attacks you you do your best to defend yourself until I or Yosuke can get to you."

"Pfft. I'll be fine. My reflexes are second to none!"

"And without a persona that will mean next to _nothing_. So I say again: Stay. Behind. Us."

"Alright, alright! I get it!" She rolled her eyes. She doesn't get it. At all.

… Why is that guy grinning at me all of a sudden?

"Make sure you have something to protect yourself." Yosuke suggested.

"Okay. Umm..." Chie started to look around the store.

Yosuke stepped closer to me so we could talk more privately. "This could be bad."

"I know. But I don't think anything we could say could change her mind... If she does what I said she might be okay. Could you keep an eye on her for me?"

"You got it, partner." He nodded. "But what should we get? I mean I've never trained with any weapons before."

"Me either. We might be better off getting some decent armour and sticking with weapons with which we aren't likely to kill ourselves. I'll stick with the golf club for now. How about you?"

He looked around the shop for a second before his eyes landed on two heavy-duty wrenches on a counter-top. "These for sale?"

"1500 yen for both." the shop owner replied.

"Okay. That and three suits of chainmail armour, then."

"Three?" Chie asked.

"You, me and Yosuke. How much?"

"10500 yen. Know what, make it an even 10000." There's that grin again. What's with this guy?

… We're on his good side. Stop questioning it.

"Thanks. I... We appreciate it." I said as I paid for our stuff.

"So how're we getting into Junes wearing all of this stuff? We'll kind of stand out."

I thought about Yosuke's question for about 0.3 seconds. "It's old fashioned armour. We'll just look like cosplayers." I couldn't help but notice Chie blushing a little. Nor could I help the grin spreading across my face. "Who?" I asked her.

"N-none of your business!" she snapped back. Why do people keep saying that to me today?

"If it makes you feel any better you can wear your school uniform over it." Yosuke offered.

"Hey, kid." The shopkeeper called me back as we were about to leave.

"Go on ahead, guys. I'll catch up." I told the others before returning to the counter.

"I got a policy that if customers bring me raw materials, I'll make somethin' special for 'em. Now, I don't know what you're into, but if you get me some stuff I've never seen before I'll pay you for it. I might even craft some amazin' things for ya."

"Anything specific?"

He showed a knowing smile. "I think you'll know it when you see it."

"... I'll keep it in mind."

"See ya later, kid. Tell Philemon I said 'hi'."

Uhh, what? "O...kay? S-see ya." I backed out of the store slowly, not taking my eyes off the metalworks owner.

Stuff he's never seen before, huh? I e-mailed Yosuke to tell him I'd take another 30 minutes. I have some supplies to gather... which now have to wait, thanks to glowy blue doors appearing in the street.

My, my. I wonder if I was somehow given the means to open this door earlier?

The key Igor gave me the night before last started glowing in my pocket. I'm thinking the universe is just screwing with me now.

-So it finally begins. Now if you'll give me a moment of your time-

"You really didn't need to invade my head. I wasn't exactly going to ignore the freaky door."

I stepped closer to the door and touched it. Or didn't. My hand just passed straight through it. More freaky portals to other worlds. Just what I needed.

I stepped through.

* * *

"We have been expecting you. The catastrophe that is heading your way has already taken human lives in its approach towards you." Igor. Velvet Room. I'm shocked that the magical blue door opened with a magical blue key led into a magical blue room.

… Screw this. My patience with this cryptic crap has run dry.

"Yes. It has. And if you people had been more straightforward then I might have saved one of them. Instead you speak in riddles and vague innuendos. Last time you said you would offer your assistance. So why not two days _earlier_? Why was it so damned necessary for there to be two deaths instead of one?"

Igor's familiar grin vanished about halfway through my ranting. "We are incapable of revealing the significance of your power until it has awakened within you. Did you not notice we visited you the very night your persona awakened fully? Do not attempt to shift blame onto us for something that is not within our – or even your – control. That is the very basis of our agreement, is it not?"

...Dammit. I did it again didn't I? "I'm sorry. I said something I shouldn't have said. I've been doing that a lot today."

"Indeed. But if you still have concerns over the suffering of others, you have nothing to fear. You now have the power to fight against it. The time for you to use your persona has come."

Mar-... I really need to remember her name. She spoke up, still continuing to glare at me thanks to my outburst. "Your persona ability is that of the Wild Card. If you strengthen your bonds, they will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that."

"My contribution" Igor continued, "is to give birth to new personae." I _really_ hope he doesn't mean that literally. "By mixing together multiple persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form. This is known as persona fusion. You have the power to hold multiple personae and use them accordingly. When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards. At times they may be hard to grasp but you must master your fear and reach out to them. When you attain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here. If you have been developing your social links, personae you fuse here will gain even more power."

"So personae I get from fighting shadows will be comparatively weaker than those I fuse here." I guessed.

"Correct." Igor nodded to Martine.

Marmoset held up a large book with bizarre patterns on it. "The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium. Registering the personae you hold will allow you to recall them at any time for a fee."

"So there is a limit to how many personae I can hold at a time then? There'd be no point in the compendium otherwise."

"For you, yes. Please do not hesitate to call on me when you wish to use the compendium."

What does she mean by 'for me'? Heh. Deja vu.

"When next we meet, you will come here of your own free will." Igor chuckled. "I look forward to it! Until then, farewell."

"Bye then." And the room faded. Now to get back to... supplies. That was it.

* * *

30 minutes and 5000 yen later and I had a two satchels. When I caught up to the others in the food court I handed one to Chie and kept the other one.

"Yosuke, next time I'm about to be rude to someone for no good reason, please stop me. Punch me or something."

"Dude, again? Not the shop guy, right? He'd've killed you."

"Nah. Igor."

"Damn. You're even an ass to your imaginary friends?"

"Looks that way."

"Sure, whatever. So what're these for?" Yosuke asked, indicating the bags.

"Chie's is filled with medical supplies. This one's empty. The metalworks guy said he'd pay me to get him some weird materials. Where weirder than in a place that science says shouldn't exist?"

"You're thinking of money right now?" Chie complained.

"I spent 15000 yen today. You can complain when it's your money."

"Dude, we _really_ stand out. It's a Sunday and we're wearing our school uniforms." Yosuke whined.

"So? I look badass in this. School uniform or not, these clothes are stylish. Also, I still don't buy what Chie is wearing as standard uniform."

"It's just a jacket over my regular unifo-CAN WE GET BACK TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT, PLEASE?"

"Fine, fine. The sale'll end soon so that'll get rid of some of the people wandering around." Yosuke explained. "We should get going."

As soon as the crowds started thinning out, we headed straight for the electronics department and through the TV we'd been using.

* * *

"Whoa, it really _is_ that bear from last time."

We found Teddie holding his head and swaying side-to-side on a corner of the entrance platform.

"What're you doing?" Yosuke asked him.

"Can't you tell?" he replied. "I'm thinking about stuff. I've been deli-bear-ating over it for a long time now." _Must not kill Teddie. Only one who can help. Can kill him later. _"Hey, that wasn't a bad joke! Heehee!" _MUST NOT KILL TEDDIE._

I forced down the anger enough to hear Yosuke ask "So did you figure anything out?"

"I try and try but nothing comes out of my head." Not surprising really. Nothing in there in the first place.

"Will you guys _shut up_? Now's not the time for stupid jokes!" Agreed. "Listen, someone came here yesterday, right?"

"Whoa! There's a girl with a better nose than me? What's your name, Miss?" Heheheh. Teddie's got a crush.

"M-miss? Uh... I'm Chie. But never mind that. Tell me about that 'someone'."

"It happened a little after I talked with Sensei. After that it felt like someone was here."

"Is it Yukiko-san?" Yosuke pressed, forgetting that Teddie can't tell who each person is.

"I don't know. I haven't looked. The presence is over that way." He turned to face where he felt the presence. "That's probably where they are."

"Over there, huh?" Chie didn't waste any time being sensible. She ran as soon as she knew where she was going.

I sighed. "Can't say I'm surprised. I'm a little pissed she took our supplies though. Serves me right for giving them to her, I guess."

"Why the hell aren't you worried?" Yosuke exclaimed.

"They ignored you."

"Huh?"

"I figured it out last night. When the shadows first attacked, you were vulnerable and closer but they went straight for me. The one with a persona, even if it hadn't properly awakened yet. Teddie said they attacked because we were investigating _and_ you were an easier target."

"So you're saying the shadows won't attack her?" Yosuke reasoned, looking a bit more relaxed.

"The small ones? No. They'll probably leave her alone. However, there's a bigger concern. _Her_ shadow. I have a suspicion it won't manifest right away. Yamano-shi's and Saki senpai-s didn't until the fog lifted."

"But mine did! Why won't hers be like mine?"

"Why did you deny your shadow?"

"Huh?... Well... I was ashamed. I didn't wanna admit it was part of me."

"Shame. That's why it won't manifest. It wants her to feel ashamed so she'll deny it like you did. And if other people are there to witness your shame..."

"It's a thousand times worse." Yosuke finished.

"Why settle for a possible victory when you can guarantee it? It won't attempt anything until we get there to see it. Then it'll strike. So the question is what do we do when that happens?"

"Well we should stop her from denying it. We could get her out and get to saving Yukiko like we were going to."

"Or... we could let her face it."

* * *

A/N: Damn, Seta. You is an asshole in this chapter. Commentary welcome on this one. Something bugs me about it.

REVIEWS-S-S-S-S!

**TGWTG**: Generally speaking, weekly. More if I maintain my supply of Pepsi Max (it is my author fuel), less if something major comes up. Like an assignment since I start university again at the end of September.

**Aoirann**: I answered this once already but still. "Adhesive bandage" or "sticking plaster" are the correct terms. So plaster is not slang. I'd've used bandage but that to me implies a worse injury. I might've been a bit rude in my response but I've been doing my best to avoid British slang (ironically using American slang instead). If you complain about that then you're looking for authenticity. I can't offer that. I don't know Japanese slang. It took me 20 minutes to learn how to use the "shi" honorific properly.

**Kisdota**: People keep trying to guess what's in the next chapter. It's interesting that people always seem to get it wrong. Sorry, dude. YAHAHAHAHA?

**SamJaz**: "The catastrophe that is heading your way has already taken human lives in **_its_** approach towards you." Huh? Huh? You like that? DO YA?... Stupid itses.

**Patcheresu**: I think by now you know Daidara knows more than he lets on.

Alright. We're done for the day. That's a wrap, people!

Thanks for reading.


	10. Chie Satonaka

"You... You want to... what?" Yosuke couldn't wrap his mind around what I'd just suggested. Horror and disgust is the only way I can describe his expression.

"We let her face her shadow. Yukiko too, in fact."

"... W-why... Why... Why the _hell_ would you even _suggest_ something like that? Do you have any _idea_ what it's like? Having your darkest thoughts announced for anyone who'll listen and nothing you can do about it? It's humiliating! Traumatising!"

"Okay. And if Chie knew that and that it would be the only real way she'd be able to help in getting Yukiko back, do you think she'd go through with it?"

"That's not the-..." He sighed. "She'd... probably go through worse. But that aside, this is a really dangerous idea. I mean what if her shadow k-kills her? You gonna be the one to tell her parents?"

"It won't kill her. I already promised myself that no one else dies here... but that was before I put someone in mortal danger... I'll change it a bit. No one dies here but _me_. If it comes right down to it I'll do whatever I have to to make sure she survives."

"... I... I don't know whether to respect that or punch you for saying it so easily."

I shrugged. "Could do both." … Wait. "Don't do bo-Oof!"

"Yeah. Both works." He doesn't need to smile about it so much. And couldn't he have gone for the arm or something instead of right in the gut?

I sat on the floor to get my breath back after asshat winded me. "Okay. Why don't we go over what we can and can't do? Persona-wise, I mean."

"Oh. Okay. Well I have three skills but I don't know what they do. Garu, Bash and Dia. I mean Bash is pretty self-explanatory but the other two are in some weird language."

"Ooh, ooh! Teddie knows!" Eh? Oh. Forgot he was here. "Garu is a wind skill. Like the one his shadow used on you, Sensei!"

"Ugh. Don't remind me." That really hurt.

"And Dia is-"

"Healing."

Teddie and I looked at Yosuke, confused. "I thought you didn't know what they were?"

"I was right?... I just kind of... knew. I thought about the skill for a second and it just came to me."

Huh. I tried it on the one skill I didn't understand yet. Rakunda. Lowers defensive capability. "... Well I'll be damned. Here I was playing it by ear." I stood up and slapped Yosuke on the arm. "Thanks, dude."

"Heh. No problem, partner! So your skills are...?"

We talked as we made our way to where Chie got to. I explained all of my skills as well as what powers them and how weaknesses supposedly work, with a little of Teddie's help. This took several minutes. "Now the big problem is running out of energy. Spiritual and you're left with only physical attacks. And the more of your own physical energy you use for persona attacks, the weaker and more tired you get. I guess your healing will come in handy there."

"Yeah, I guess so. Man, this is like some terrible video game."

Aren't girls usually the healers in those games? "Heheh. Heheheheh."

"What?"

"Hm? Nothing. Oh, look! We're here."

Here, in this case, was a castle of western design and intimidating appearance, though that may be more down to a combination of the fog and the ominous red and black pattern behind it that matched the main entrance.

"So..." I began, "anyone know why it's a castle?"

"Nuh-uh. This is reality for whoever's here. Ooh! Does this Yukiko person live in a castle?"

"No... When she was on the midnight channel she did call herself Princess Yukiko, though..." Yosuke reasoned. "Speaking of, Teddie, are you sure there's no one behind a camera for that bizarre midnight program?"

"Program? I dunno. Maybe people from your side can see inside this world? It might be that. And besides, I told you before! It's only me and shadows here! There's no 'camera' stuff going on. It's been like this from the beginning."

"'From the beginning'? That's what we don't understand!"

"Well can you guys explain everything about your world?"

I rejoined the conversation. "Heh. If you'd asked me that last week I'd've said we were at least getting close. Now, though... "

"Anyway, we're getting off track. When she was on the midnight channel, did Yukiko-san seem weird to you?"

"Aside from the whole Princess thing? I don't know her that well but I'd say talking about her underwear and 'scoring a hot stud' seemed a little odd."

"...'Score'? 'Stud'?" Teddie looked a little confused.

Yosuke ignored him. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. Yukiko-san would never say anything like that... wait. Is this... Maybe this is kinda like what happened to me last time!"

"It wouldn't surprise me. But we've wasted enough time talking about this already, right? So Chie is inside, Ted?"

"Pretty sure. So... What's this 'scoring with a hot stud' thing?"

"Not the time, bear. Anything else you can tell us before we head inside?"

"There's shadows inside... Lots of 'em. Oh, and I gathered these for you."

He held out some small, round objects, only one of which was larger than a grape. "What're these?"

"The little ones are soul drops. They'll recover some of your spirit energy. The big one is a revival bead. You can use it to wake someone who's unconscious."

"That's... actually really helpful. Thanks, Ted. Alright. We should get going. You ready Yosuke?"

The wrenches were in his hands before I could figure out where he was keeping them. "Ready."

"Well, then." I pulled the golf club from my pant leg where I was keeping it. "Let's do this."

* * *

As soon as we stepped through the portal, Teddie spoke up. "Mmmmm the shadows are getting aggravated, Sensei! They'll probably attack if they spot you! You should sneak up behind 'em for a surprise attack!"

"Alright then. Teddie, make sure you keep a safe distance behind us. Yosuke, make sure you keep up."

"Got it." he saluted with a wrench.

"I made a dash forward, hoping to find an enemy before one found us. We got lucky. A shadow still in it's slime-like state was dead ahead of us. I continued to run forward and upon nearing the shadow swung my golf club as if to hit a golf ball. It struck with enough force to send the shadow into the air, being stopped only by a conveniently placed wall.

I moved to follow up on the attack but the shadow didn't give me the chance. It split in two and morphed into a familiar shape.

"Balls." I cursed, summoning Izanagi for a Zio attack on one of the balls.

"Haha! Dude, you'll hurt their feelings!" Yosuke joked as he brought both of his wrenches down on the other ball. I know they're not really that kind of ball but I couldn't help but wince.

Both shadows dissolved into a puddle on the carpet. I guess my initial attack must've been more effective than I thought. "Let's kee- huh?"

"What's up, Seta?"

Cards. Four of them. Three showed a picture of shattered glass. One showed a girl with wings. I blinked and the cards started spinning around each other, always facing away from me.

So... I take it this is what Igor was talking about when he explained getting new personae. Alright then. I focused all my attention on the card I thought was the girl with wings.

Spinning...

Spinning...

… NOW! I grabbed at the card and caught it. Flipping the card in my hand I saw the image I was hoping for. I crushed the card. The girl in the picture appeared in front of me, no more than six inches tall and smiling at me. The girl faded.

Pixie.

I smiled to myself. If this keeps happening then we shouldn't have much trouble.

"Dude. Seta. What... What just happened?" Yosuke was stunned. Teddie was... not quite as stunned.

"Remember me saying being Zero made me special? Igor told me how. I can carry more than one persona. I can get new ones by fighting shadows. The one I just got i-"

=Hey listen!=

… The hell? "... is Pixie. She has a-"

=Hey listen!=

I turned around. "What?"

...No one there.

=In he-ere! In your head! Your head!=

"And you are...?"

"Dude, who are you talking to?"

"Shhh."

=Heehee! I'll give you a hint.= The irritatingly high-pitched voice cleared it's throat. =I AM THOU! THOU ART ME! We're a happy familyyyyy!=

… Not good.

"Y-you okay, partner?"

"On so very many levels, no. No I'm not."

=Aww, come on. Don't be like that! I can help, see? Healing! Healing for... Huh. No one needs healing. But I can heal so I can help! Right? Right? Huh?=

I focused my mind on Izanagi, hoping to switch back to the persona that didn't talk my ear off. After a couple of seconds it worked.

…

…

I sighed in relief. "As I was saying, this ability is gonna be really useful in fighting shadows, especially since I just found out I can switch back and forth at will." That little moment of annoying let me find out something useful, so I'm a little thankful for it.

=You're welcome!=

"DAMMIT!"

"Uhh... Maybe we should head back outside and rest for a bit, Seta."

"Just... Just give me thirty seconds to solve this little problem."

He gave me a concerned look but nodded in agreement.

"Okay, voice in my head. Let's deal."

=Pixie=

"Right. Sorry. Pixie. Thing is I need to focus since it's pretty dangerous in here. So while we're in this castle, I need you to stay quiet. Can you do that?"

=Ooh! We're in a castle? Can we go see some knights?=

"_Can_ you _do that_?"

=Yeah, okay. I'll be quiet... For a while.=

"Good enough. Okay, Yosuke. We're good to go."

"Gonna explain how you're suddenly schizophrenic?"

"Being Zero comes with some... side-effects. Beyond that, no I'm not."

=Hey, don't call me a side-effect!=

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"

=Right, right. Sorry, sorry.=

I sighed again. "Let's just keep moving."

* * *

Ten minutes of searching and three shadow fights later and we found the stairs up. After one of the fights I managed to pick up an Ukobach persona, whatever that is. At some point Pixie decided to start humming to herself. I suppose she never learned the skill 'Shutupkaja'.

=... That was a terrible joke. No wonder you keep these inside your head.=

You can hear my thoughts, too?

=I'm_ also _inside your head.=

Great. Just... _great._

Only thing on the second floor was a huge ornate door. Teddie sensed Chie's presence directly behind it.

"Okay, Yosuke. This is it. Let's go over the plan again."

"We try to help her accept her shadow and stop her from denying it. But dude, there's no way she's gonna accept it without everything going to hell first."

"... You think?"

"Dude, I know. I've been through it. If we start saying that everything that thing says is actually true it's gonna sound like an accusation. And that's only gonna make her deny it more."

"... So we're probably gonna have to fight no matter what?" Damn. I was hoping we could avoid that. "Alright. Plan for fighting it then?"

"We use our element attacks to see if it has weaknesses. If it does we use the right skill just enough to keep it on the ground while the one of us without that skill uses whatever they have to beat the crap out of it." We already agreed on this earlier. I'm glad he still remembers.

I turned to Teddie. "And what does Teddie do?"

"He hides in the corner." the bear replied.

"Looks like we're set then. Kick in the door on three?" I suggested, switching to Izanagi.

"Is there any other way to make an entrance?" Yosuke answered with a grin.

"One."

"Two."

"**THREE!**"

* * *

The room on the other side of the now broken door appeared to be some sort of ballroom. One thing I'll say about this castle. It's very... red. Red carpets, red curtains, red doors, even the fog seems to have a slight pinkish hue to it in here. Standing in the centre of the ballroom was Chie, looking a bit out of it. She didn't even seem to notice the crash of the doors.

"Chie! Are you alright?" Yosuke stepped forward. "... Chie?"

"_She said red looks good on me."_

"Oh. It's Yukiko's spooky voice. That explains it." I mumbled.

"_I hated my name... Yukiko... 'Snow'... Snow is cold and melts quickly. Transient. Worthless. But it's perfect for me. Apart from inheriting the inn, I'm worthless._

_Still... Chie said red looks good on me."_

"So these are Yukiko-san's inner thoughts?"

"Yeah, this castle is probably because of this Yukiko person."

"Yukiko..." Chie finally spoke.

"_Chie was the only one who gave my life meaning. She's bright and strong... She can do anything. She has everything I don't. Compared to Chie, I'm... I'm..._

_Chie protects me. She looks after my worthless life. And... I don't deserve any of it. Chie is so kind."_

"Yukiko... I-I..."

"**Chie is **_**so**_** kind, huh? What a joke!**"

"Wh-what?"

Chie's other self appeared in front of her. I sighed. "Here we go."

"**Are we talking about **_**that**_** Yukiko? She says **_**I'm**_** protecting **_**her**_**? Hmhmhm! She says she's worthless! That's how it should be, right?**"

"Wh-what are you saying?"

"**Yukiko's **_**so**_** good-looking. **_**So**_** fair-skinned. **_**So**_** feminine! She's the one all the guys drool over. And when she looked at me with **_**such**_** jealousy? Man, did I get a charge out of that!**

**Yukiko knows the score. She can't do anything if I'm not around. I'm better than her. Much, **_**much**_** better.**"

"No! I have never thought that!"

"What're we gonna do?" Yosuke asked me.

"... We stay out of it and watch. One-in-a-million she admits it on her own but if we butt in we just make it worse. She denies it, we fight it, we help her accept it. But when it appears we have to protect Chie at all cost. If that thing kills her it'll be our... _my_ fault."

"Our. I went along with this plan too." Yosuke reassured. We moved closer to easily get Chie out of the way for when things got bad.

She noticed us. "N-no! Don't come near me! Don't look at me!"

Crap. So much for staying out of it. "Chie, calm down." Yosuke said.

"No! No, this isn't me!"

"**Hmhmhmhm! That's right. I'm the one who can't do anything alone. I can't win as a girl, let alone as a person. I'm pathetic... **

**But Yukiko... She depends on me. That's why she's my friend! I'll never loosen my grip on her. She's too **_**important**_** to me.**"

"_No! _That is _not _how I think of her!"

"**Hmhm! So you're just gonna turn your back and deny me again? Things are different now. When the time comes, I'll be the one left standing. You won't mind, right? I mean I'm still you!**"

"Shut up! You're..."

Shit. "Get ready!"

"You're not me!"

* * *

… Nothing.

..."**Heeheehee... Ahahahahahaha!**"

Just like with Yosuke's, Chie's shadow became completely obscured by dark shapes flowing around it. Chie got knocked back.

"Yosuke! Move Chie, now! GO! I'll keep it off you!"

Yosuke followed the command without question, grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her out of the way. Teddie followed him and stood between the shadow and Chie.

I turned back to face the shadow and... none of these things are gonna be normal looking, are they?

Chie's shadow resembled a woman in a vibrant yellow outfit including a banana-shaped mask with a... smiley face on it? An impossibly long cape flowed out behind it, covering the floor behind it. The end of the cape split into sections, each of which ended in a rather large metal blade. It sat suspended about fifteen feet off of the ground above a marionette that the shadow controlled using the chains connected to it, held in the shadow's right hand.

… Okay. At least that last part makes _some_ sense.

"**I am a shadow. The **_**true**_** self. What do you guys think you're doing? Trying to protect the 'real' me? Then you're gonna pay the price!**"

"Shut it! Quit being such a pain!" Yosuke yelled at it. "Chie, just hang in there a little longer." he said, as he looked over his shoulder at Teddie and Chie.

"**Hah! Think you can stop me that easy?**"

"DAMN RIGHT WE DO! PERSONA!" I crushed my summoned card, calling Izanagi for a Zio attack. It hit but had no visible effect.

Yosuke followed my lead. "Let's do this, Jiraiya!" He sent a Garu attack at the shadow. The marionette dropped to its knees as the shadow slumped down in its perch. So we know its weakness then. I switched to Ukobach to see if I could discover another one. I tried an Agi skill but it didn't do much but scorch the chains a bit. Fine. I'll switch back to Izanagi and drop its defense a little.

The shadow wasn't willing to let that happen, though. It recovered surprisingly quickly and created some sort of green shield around itself. Yosuke attempted to stun it again but his wind attack seemed to go almost completely unnoticed by the puppetmaster shadow.

=That was a green wall skill. It makes things resistant to wind for a while=

Really? Thanks. I switched to Izanagi as I'd planned to do. "That shield makes it resistant to wind. You'll need to u-MOVE!" The shadow appeared to be gathering electricity. For Yosuke, that would be bad. My warning was useless, however. The electricity was discharged all over the area, hitting both me and Yosuke simultaneously. And Yosuke was hit _hard_. He barely looked conscious. Then I noticed the spikes headed for him. I dove to knock a few away before he got skewered, switching to Pixie so I could heal afterwards.

The price for saving him was several stab wounds in my right arm, rendering it mostly useless. I dropped my club since I couldn't swing it properly anymore anyway. Yosuke got to his feet as we used our personae to heal each other. "Thanks."

"**Are you guys idiots? What're you doing protecting her like that? She's nothing but a grubby bitch!**"

"... Kill now, pleasantries later." I responded to Yosuke. I switched back to Izanagi and called for a Rakunda attack. I got hit with the shadow's whip for my trouble but it was worth it. Because as the shadow attacked, its shield fell. Yosuke didn't waste his sudden opportunity. He threw a Garu attack at the shadow, stunning it again.

So the shadow was defenseless.

More so, thanks to my last attack.

Yosuke and I looked at one another... and grinned. "Let's go, partner!"

"Damn straight!" Wait, I don't have a... Screw it.

Yosuke and I dashed for the helpless puppetmaster shadow, him swinging his wrenches, me summoning a card in preparation.

What happened next is... probably best not to recount. Suffice to say bad things happened to that shadow. And it was _fun_.

As soon as it started to move again, Yosuke and I made some distance between us and it. We were right to. It was _pissed_. "**Ngh... Don't make fun of me... You're... You're nothing against me!**" It moved to attack Yosuke with the blades again.

I moved in front of him to block the attack. "It's still defenseless against your attacks! If you stun it again we can take it down for good! I'll keep it busy." I used Izanagi's cleave attack to knock the blades away before they could reach me. Inevitably, some got through but not enough to kill me.

Yosuke ran to his right to get the shadow back in his line of sight. Then "Throw down! Persona!" His attack sent the shadow to its knees again (or at least the puppet was on his... Whatever).

"Ngh! Keep going!" I yelled, pulling a blade out of my shoulder. "I need to heal and you can deal the most damage!"

"R-right!" Yosuke couldn't hide his concern but did as he was told anyway, sending attack after attack after attack directly at the puppetmaster's face (or mask). And with a surprisingly pitiful squeal of "**N-nooo!**", it fell forwards. What remained looked just like an absurdly long black dress.

* * *

"Ngh..." Yosuke and Teddie ran over as soon as we heard Chie stir. I still had bleeding wounds to heal. "What... happened?" She turned to see her shadow standing in front of her, waiting patiently. There were only two outcomes left and it knew it had no control over which happened. "What's the matter? Got nothin' to say anymore?"

"Stop it, Chie." Yosuke interrupted. "It's okay."

She turned to us. "B-but...!"

"No." I stopped her, joining the conversation after successfully sealing my wounds.. "Everyone has a part of themselves that they're not proud of. The best way to deal with it starts with admitting it's there. Then you do something about it. If you don't admit it then not only will it still be there, it will _always_ be there." Phew. Yosuke does the next speech.

… Actually, Chie would make more sense, wouldn't it? Meh.

"B-but I..."

"He's right. I went through the same thing so I can understand. I mean everyone has a side like this."

"..." She turned back towards herself. "... Yeah. I... I kinda get it now. You are me. A side of me I couldn't forgive. That I tried to ignore. But you still exist. You're a part of me."

Chie's other self nodded in understanding before disappearing. What replaced it had the same yellow outfit as her shadow except the head, gloves and boots were silver. It carried a naginata with a blade on both ends.

Tomoe Gozen. Fitting, really.

Chie still looked a little distressed. "I... Um, it's true that part of me feels that way... But I wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko!"

"Heh. Like we didn't know that already." Chie dropped to her knees. "H-hey, Chie!"

"I'm okay... Just a little tired."

"You don't look okay at all."

"Of course she's not okay. You remember what you were like when you got your persona?" I reminded Yosuke.

"Oh, right! I bet she can use the power we have now."

"Huh?" Chie answered, still kind of out of it.

"Hey, what should we do?" Yosuke asked me.

"... We're probably too weak to go any further today. I'm gonna guess you're almost out of spiritual power – know what? Let's call it SP from now on for brevity's sake – and I really don't think I should bleed any more today. Let's get Chie out of here. We can come back another day."

"Right. Let's get back to the entrance, then."

"Wh-what? No, I can still keep going."

Teddie stopped her. "Don't overdo it!"

"It's not that we don't think you can. It's just... we have to save Yukiko-san no matter what."

I continued for Yosuke. "You're tired, I'm dizzy, Yosuke is out of fighting power. If we keep going we could get ourselves killed. Then who saves Yukiko-san."

"But Yukiko's still in here, isn't she? If those were her true feelings then... I need to tell her something! I'm not as strong as she thinks! It's because... she was with me. Because we were always together, I was able to act that way... If we weren't, I'd..."

Teddie cut her off again. "Well you need to get your strength back! Then you can tell her! Yuki-chan is normal. Shadows don't attack normal people. They only attack when the fog lifts."

"And Yukiko-san will be safe until then, right?"

"I'm positive." The bear confirmed.

"And since that only happens when it's foggy in our world, she's gonna be safe for quite a while. No fog expected any time soon. We can leave, rest, regroup and come back another day. Maybe even tomorrow if we're feeling up to it. Worst possible thing we could do is come in here unprepared."

"B-but Yukiko's-"

I sighed in exasperation. "Okay. One more time. If we keep going today. We. Will. Get. Killed. If not by the small shadows then by Yukiko's. Yours drained us completely. And you want us to face it again plus however many smaller ones we have to go through to get to it?"

Chie whimpered a little. I'm being mean but I'm right.

I continued. "We will come back another day. We will get to Yukiko and we will get her out of here. I promise."

"... Alright." She stood up, unsteadily. Teddie helped her... somehow. "I'm... sorry about before."

"What, the running off with all of our medical supplies? I'm over it." I said with a smile. "Where are they, by the by?"

"... Uhh..."

I forced the smile to stay on my face. "W-we'll find them. No big deal." 5000 yen down the crapper...

"No worries. We're definitely gonna save Yukiko-san, right?" Yosuke asked her.

"Right!" Chie responded with a surprisingly bright smile, considering.

* * *

"I... I'm feeling even worse than the last time I came here..." Chie complained as we got back to the entrance platform. "My head feels like it's gonna split open. Are you guys okay?"

"Bet you wish you held onto those supplies n-Ow, what the?" Something hit me on the back of the head.

=It was the other guy. Think he's trying to tell you something.=

I started grumbling to myself about various minor annoyances as Teddie and Yosuke explained the concept of the glasses we were wearing. Then Teddie pulled out another pair.

"Tum de dummm! I got a pair ready for Chie-chan too! Here you go!" He passed them to Chie and she put them... on.

… Wow. She looks... Wow.

=Hmhm! Someone has a glasses fetish!=

Hush, you. You're ruining the moment.

"Whoa, what the...! It's like the fog doesn't even exist! This is awesome!"

"Why didn't you whip those out earlier if you had them?"

"I made them right now! You didn't tell me she was coming! It was all so sadden!... I mean, sudden."

"Huh. So that's the trick. I was wondering how you guys could see where you were going. Hey, is it alright if I keep these?"

"Fo' sho'!"... I did _not_ need another reason to kill Teddie but by hell have I got one.

"We'll have to stop here today but I'll be back with these puppies. You guys better not come here without me, got it?"

"Yeah. Let's all promise each other. No one comes in alone. It's way too dangerous. If we don't work together we won't be able to solve this case _or_ save Yukiko-san, right?"

"Right." We all agreed.

Yosuke turned to face me. "Hey... Would you mind being our leader?"

"Eh?"

"Well you were the first to get this power and you're pretty good at giving orders. I think it's best if you set the pace of this investigation and we follow your lead. I'm cool playing second banana." Heehee! Banana.

"Sure."

"I had a feeling you'd say that. I mean I'm more the adviser type, ya know? An ideas man, not an executive."

"I'm with Yosuke. If you're the one calling the shots, I'd feel a lot more comfortable about this." Huh. Chie too. Wonder where all this trust came from.

=Hmhm! I bet it's the corny speeches!=

Shush, you.

"I'm with Yosuke too. If you're the one calling the shots, my pillow will be a lot more comfortable at night."

"Ugh, Teddie would you please stop talking? I'm really on edge right now." Chie complained.

Then everything stopped.

**SMASH!**

Another card. This one... a man walking off a cliff?

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Fool arcana._

Everything went back to normal. Yes indeed I am ignoring spooky voices as much as possible now. I spoke up. "We should get out of here and get some rest."

"Right. And everyone keep an eye on the weather. It gets foggy after a lot of rain so that's our deadline."

We all headed through the exit Teddie made and upon getting back to the real world, went our separate ways.

* * *

Dinner at home was... tense. Uncle showed up for once. I tried to avoid his stare by getting as low as possible. Not really feasible with that low a table.

=Why's he so mad? He's all frowny and stuff.=

I … said some things I shouldn't have. Well... I was right to say them... kind of... but not to say them to him.

=Oooooh. Maybe if you say more things he'll get madder? That could be fun!=

Again, shush. You're right about saying something though. "Listen, uncle... I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier. Yukiko-san is a friend... Well, sort of. Friend of a friend at the least. And those co-... _officers_ talking about her like she was just a stroppy teenager when she could be in real danger..."

He appeared to be evaluating what I was saying. Eventually the look changed to one of satisfaction. "... Okay. I get it. But... Is there anything you're not telling me?"

=Well there's the voice in your head – Hi! – the TV world, your bear friend, th=

SHUSH! You're ruining the concentration I need to lie! "Of course not."

"Well... It's just been nagging at me, that's all."

What's wrong?" Nanako interrupted. "Are you fighting?"

"Huh? No. We're not having a fight." uncle said a little too quickly. Guess he was trying to work up to it, at least.

"This isn't the police station..." Is she... warning him off? She's actively defending me? I'm touched.

Uncle looked a little dejected. He settle for giving me a miniature lecture. "I agreed to look after you so don't get involved in anything that could get you into trouble. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." I replied.

The weather report announced that it won't rain for quite a while. That's reassuring. We at least have some time.

"Is this lady the one who decides the weather?" Nanako asked. "When she says it's gonna be sunny, it always is."

"Not always." I replied. "She's not deciding it. It's more like she's just really, really good at guessing it. Most of the time she's right but sometimes..." … Huh..

We'll need to be careful.

* * *

A/N: Yeah. So who expected that to happen? Anyone? No? Didn't think so. It's not as broken as it might seem, trust me. Comments welcome, though.

Reviews!

**SamJaz**: Exactly what I was going for. I'm glad it came through in the writing.

**DrTempo**: Well, I needed to give a valid reason why every single boss fight had to happen. I mean realistically every one could be avoided by grabbing the person and running away, maybe sellotaping their mouth, just in case.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Seta's job is to keep everyone else focused and on-task. Yosuke's job is to keep Seta in check. Gonna make a certain scene very interesting, I bet.

**Aoirann**: Yup. Also saw the fandub of it on Youtube. Dude voicing Yosuke(s) nailed it.

**Patcheresu**: Did someone actually _do_ that thing with Adachi you mentioned? If so, link. I'm intrigued. I won't do it but I wanna see what it is. And you're really one for bizarre metaphors aren't ya?

**Kisdota**: I'm not that good at fight scenes. I'll readily admit that. So don't expect much early on. As I get more comfortable with writing them I might include more. If I self-evaluate I'd say I'm better at characters and, if I really get into it, atmosphere.

**Heavenly Observer**: No Naruto references. I only watched ten episodes and I really frelling hated those. Believe it. Minatos will not make an appearance in this except the obvious point at the very very end. I think your question on abilities has been answered in this chapter. As for being fast paced: well the intro part kind of was in-game too. Things'll slow down a bit from here.

**Heavenly Observer (again)**: The golf club thing? Yeah, I admit I never considered that. But I can say Seta _also_ never considered that. Mlehhhh *sticks tongue out* Rest of your review is addressed below.

End reviews. Sweet!

Okay, so there were a _lot_ of suggestions this time so I'm gonna set my policy for them now. I'm not gonna respond directly to any of them. If I use it, I'll credit whoever sent it in the relevant chapter.

So how did people like the end of the intro section? Heheh. Trick question. There's **one more **introduction that needs to be made and I promise you, it will be awesome.

Thanks for reading.


	11. Yukiko Amagi I

"I wonder how Chie's doing." Yosuke wondered aloud. It was Monday and we were waiting for class to start. Chie hadn't shown up yet. "Too much stuff happened yesterday. I hope she's back to her usual self."

As if to answer him, Chie walked through the door at that moment. Her anxiety seemed to be gone, for the most part.

"Mornin'." she greeted us.

"So how you feeling? Recovered from yesterday?"

=Wow. You don't waste any time, do ya?=

-Bite me, Tinkerbell, I need to know.-

=Meanie. I do like my new nickname, though. It's pretty!=

-… Chie's looking at me weird. I didn't say that out loud, did I?-

=Hmhm. No. But you _did_ make an angry face and then roll your eyes for no reason.=

Yosuke was kind enough to explain a little. "Don't worry about him. He's just having an internal argument. One of his personas talks to him and he's been fighting with her since we got here. It's really funny to watch his face dance."

"You knew I was doing that and you didn- oh screw it. And it's 'personae', by the way. Back to my question. You feeling better?"

"Uhh, y-yeah. I am. Thanks." she answered. "And, umm... Thanks for everything yesterday. It's kind of embarrassing, ya know? You two were right there to see my hidden feelings an' all..."

"Don't sweat it."

"The same thing happened to you right?" she asked Yosuke. "So... what was it like?"

"Huh? Uhh, how should I put this?... Oh, I nearly forgot! None of that happened when yours awakened, huh?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm Zero. But you knew that already. You just wanted to change the subject. Answer the lady's question, please." I said with a slightly sadistic grin.

He glared at me. "You're a bad friend."

I shrugged again and grinned wider. "I'm definitely not a good one."

Chie cut in. "So nothing happened for you? So like, you have nothing to hide? I mean you do seem like a pretty open guy. There's a funny air about you..."

Hel-lo! That can only be a good thing.

=Maybe you can get her to wear the glasses when you-=

"STOP!"... Everyone was suddenly staring at me. "... I did it again, didn't I?"

"Third time today. Still funny as hell." Yosuke answered, not bothering to restrain his laughter at all. Chie was chuckling to herself too.

"Hmhmhm! A-anyways, the important thing right now is that we rescue Yukiko. I'm dead set on coming. Remember, you promised."

"Well y- Yosuke?" Where the hell's he going? I shrugged. "Oh well. As I was saying, you _do_ look better today."

=Flirt!=

Must not kill the voice in my head. Focus. "If you're feeling up to it, we can go back in today."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Great! The sooner we bring back Yukiko, the better." She paused for a few seconds. "H-hey, um... Th-thanks for saving me. Yosuke's cool an' all but... there really is something different about you. I feel like you won't let me down."

… Wait, what? =Did she really just say that?=

-It did seem kind of unnatural, right? Maybe she didn't realise what she was saying or-

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Chariot Arcana._

… -I don't like this.-

=Whaddya mean? This is a good thing!=

-I think I have some more things to talk to Igor about later.-

=Who's Igor?=

-Later.-

As Pixie and I thought to each other, time had started up again. Chie was starting to look uncomfortable. Should ask now while I have the chance.

"Can I get your phone number?"

Chie's cheeks flared red as soon as I said it. Whoops. "H-huh? Uh... Sure! Here." We added each other's numbers to our phones. "Y-you'll need this for the investigation anyway, r-right? Heheh."

She spent the remainder of the time before class at her desk, looking away from me. I'd assume hiding her blush.

Igor and I will have _words_.

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

I'd made my way to the Velvet Room almost as soon as school let out, stopping only to tell Yosuke and Chie to meet up at the food court at Junes.

"Well then, shall I tell you about how I can offer you my 'assistance'?" Igor asked.

"Later. I have a more pre-"

=NOSE! That thing's amazing! Summon me! I wanna touch it!=

"PRESSING concern." I half-shouted to shut Pixie up.

Igor chuckled, as he tends to do. "I see. I admit we were not expecting this to happen but we have prepared something to help manage it, nonetheless."

"So you can shut her up? Get her out of my head?"

=Hmph! Well if that's how you feel I'm not talkin' to you no more.=

-If that were the case I wouldn't be asking for help.-

"Unfortunately it is not something we can remove or block. Your mind is a connection to another world. That is the world of demons. In exchange for lending you their power, demons are allowed to see your world and, to an extent, interact with it through you."

"Uhh... You're... De-demons? What? I never signed up for that!"

"Please do not misunderstand. 'Demon' is merely a blanket term for creatures borne of the human mind. The majority of deities, myths, legends and fictional characters exist in the demon world in some way."

"... Okay. That... That's kind of reassuring. But it seems like that would actually mean most religions are wrong too, wouldn't it?"

"All a matter of perspective. However, we are moving away from the real reason you came here. The reason personae can speak to you is because your connection to the other world is slightly stronger than it is for the majority of our guests. If we were to stop your persona from speaking to you, we would also need to restrict a substantial amount of your power."

"Substantial sounds... bad. So I'm stuck with Pixie chattering away at me for all my life then?"

=HA!=

"I did not say that. We cannot stop a persona from speaking with you but we can aid you by changing which persona is capable of doing so."

-You heard that, right?-

=I-I'm sorry! P-please don't change it! Please please please please please!=

"Can you change it over to Izanagi?"

"No."

"Why not?" I asked, trying not to sound whiny.

"Izanagi is what you might call a more traditional persona. The manifestation of your inner strength. It merely appears as how you imagine Izanagi. It has no connection to the demon world, nor to the real Izanagi. Therefore, it has no voice.

"Shame." I wanted to ask why he thought peeing on a tree would help matters when you're being chased out of the underworld. I mean it worked but "How about Ukobach then."

"Very well."

_SMASH!_

… "Well he's a lot quieter so tha-"

=FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE BURN BURN BURN HAHAHAHAHA! BURN! FIRE! BURN! BURNBURNBUR-=

"PIXIE! Put Pixie back on! Please!"

_SMASH!_

=Hiiiii! Knew you'd miss me!=

"Uhm, yeah. I, uhh... J-just couldn't stay away." I shuddered involuntarily.

=Liar. I was still in your head when Ukobach took over. You're still a meanie.=

-Fine. Sorry. But do me a favour and try to behave from now on. Or I'll switch to a better option as soon as one comes along. Deal?-

=... Deal.=

-Good.- "Thanks, Igor."

"Do not hesitate to request this service again. Now, as you have multiple personae, it is possible for me to 'fuse' them to make a new, stronger persona. Simply ask and I will be happy to oblige."

"Thanks but I'll stick with what I have, for now. There was something else I wanted to ask you. Being zero... It doesn't inherently make me more likeable, does it?"

"While the power of the Wild Card is strengthened by your social links, it does not make interacting with others easier. However, different personae represent different states of mind. Therefore, if your active persona is of a certain arcana, it will be easier to empathise with people of that arcana."

"So... no, then?"

"No."

"Okay... That's all."

"In that case, until we meet again."

* * *

"-ude. Dude. Seta! Wake up, man!"

I looked left to see Yosuke just as he started shaking me. "Hey! Quit it!"

"Sorry but I saw you staring at this wall for no reason. What's going on?"

"Wall?"... Oh right. He wouldn't see it. Duh. "Velvet room. Was asking Igor about the voice."

=I have a name.=

-What, beyond 'Pixie'?-

=Well... no. Only important demons get specific names.=

-Tinkerbell it is then.-

=Yay!=

Guess that looked like spacing out again. "Sorry about that. Anyway..."

Yosuke and I walked to Junes together as I explained to him what Igor just did for me. He seemed to have the same problem with it as I did.

"So... All religions aren't real? That's kind of hard to swallow, dude."

I sighed. "Agreed. Igor said it's all a matter of perspective though and I guess he's right. Technically the Kami, the Christian God, even the ancient Greek deities all exist. It's just maybe they only existed after the religion did."

"That's kinda messed up."

"Yeah. It's definitely raised some questions. Some of which are really gonna keep me up at night... Sorry about that. Heh."

"Yeah, like I could sleep much with all this going on, anyway." he complained. "But Izanagi is more like my and Chie's persona? I mean I hate to point this out again but you never faced your shadow. Shouldn't that be impossible?"

"Don't ask me. I've as much of a grasp on this as you."

"So... Whaddya think would happen if you _did_ face your shadow?"

"... I don't know. Must admit I'm curious though."

* * *

We didn't waste any time. As soon as everyone arrived at the food court we headed straight into the TV world where Teddie was waiting. Turns out there's an entrance to the velvet room here too. That's convenient. We spent the walk to the castle bringing Chie up to speed on persona.

"Skewer and Tarukaja, huh? So a... rather unpleasant sounding physical attack and...?" I trailed off, waiting for someone to answer. Ideally Chie.

"... Attack boost... I think." And Chie it was. Good stuff.

"Okay. So your skills are physical then. Remember not to overuse them and let us know if you're starting to get worn down so we can heal you."

"By the way, where's your weapon?" Yosuke posed a good question. I don't see where she could be hiding one.

=Yep. You've been looking for it all day!=

-... Yeah. That's totally what I was doing.-

=Hmhm. Liar.=

"Right here." Her response was a few high kicks and... holy crap was that a backflip?

"Oh yeahhhh. I forgot you were into martial arts and stuff. Hey, could you teach us how to fight for real?"

"Yeah, we're not exactly skilled in any weapons. By which I mean we've never used real ones."

She shrugged and smiled. "Sure! If you guys suck at fighting you're just gonna slow me down anyways!"

"Ah, that's right! I almost forgot! I found this, sensei!" Teddie said, interrupting the conversation.

Teddie handed me a... thing. Looked kind of like a small quartz crystal. "What's this?"

"It's a traesto gem. It'll get you out of dangerous places!"

"... How's it work?"

"I 'unno."

The castle came into view. I sighed. "We'll work it out when it comes time to use it. We're here. Let's head straight in."

We basically rushed through the first floor. Any shadows we came across didn't stand a chance. And that was against Chie alone. That girl can _kick_. She also learned an ice skill at some point. That'll come in handy.

=Never make that girl angry. Would be bad. Bad.=

-I knew that already but thanks for the warning.-

Teddie spoke up when we got to the room where Chie's shadow appeared. "Hmm? I sense someone behind this door."

"Human or shadow?"

"It's a person, I think."

"... Everyone ready?" I asked.

"Whaddya mean? The only person here is Yukiko! Let's just go in and save her!"

=You never told her.=

… _Oh. _"Uh, Chie. If it is Yukiko in there then her shadow is going to attack."

"But...!"

"I could give a long and complicated explanation but we don't have time. Are you prepared for a big fight?"

"... Y-yeah... Yeah. I'm ready."

_Phew_. "Kick in the door on three?" I asked the others with kick-capable legs.

"THREE!" Chie beat us to it. I shrugged at Yosuke's look, translating to 'Meh. We did this one already. We'll get another.'

On the other side was "Yukiko!" Chie called out to her.

No. "Not Yukiko."

Chie looked at me. "No, look she's right there! That's-"

"Not Yukiko. I can tell." Huge, fluffy, pink dress. No arcana.

Yukiko's other self laughed maniacally. "**Oh, my! Special guests! I wonder how they'll play into all this! Things are really heating up!**" It giggled. "**Okie-dokie! I'm going back to the hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohhh, where could he be? This place is huge! It's so exciting but it makes it so hard to find him. Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come! Let's go further in, shall we?**"

Above Not-Yukiko, the same title logo appeared as the one that showed up on the midnight channel. Rainbow colours and everything. There was even applause.

"Wh-what the hell is this?" Yosuke asked, half-rhetorically.

"You're... You're _not_ Yukiko."

-It's... probably not a problem for _Chie_ to say that, right?-

=Why're you asking me? How'm I supposed to know about this stuff?=

"**Hmhmhm! What are you talking about? I'm Yukiko... and Yukiko is me.**" It grinned at us, as if anticipating when the real Yukiko will say those words.

"Where's the _real_ Yukiko?" Chie demanded.

Disembodied voices suddenly started mumbling incoherently. "What's with these voices?" Yosuke asked no one in particular.

"The shadows are getting agitated!"

"**Well, I'm off again! Heehee! You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear prince!**" It hurried off up the stairs.

Chie made to run after it but stopped herself. "Hey, wait!"

"... Come on. We should keep moving. It's probably just taunting us anyway."

"I dunno." Teddie spoke. "I don't think she was excited for nothing. The real Yukiko wants to show us something. I can feel it."

"No. She doesn't _want_ to show us anything. Not consciously, at least. Shadows are the parts of yourself that you force down. Maybe Yukiko wants to shout whatever her shadow is trying to tell us from the rooftops but can't for some reason."

* * *

On the third floor we found something strange. Through an unremarkable door (for the castle, at least) was what looked like a standard classroom of an elementary school. Walls were decorated with demonstrations of simple concepts taught in the early years of education. An older woman stood at the front of the room and all but a few of the desks held children. Well... most were children. Others held shapes that somewhat resembled children.

"Wh... What the hell...?" Yosuke voiced all of our thoughts for us.

"Okay, children!" the teacher began. "Now we're going to go around the room and say what we want to do when we grow up! Let's start from the front. #####-kun?" The name spoken didn't even resemble speech. It was more like the sound of static.

"U-umm... Fireman!"

"Very good! Rei##-chan?"

"Actress!" The girl announced.

"Ooh! How about you, Yukiko-chan?"

The dark-haired girl the teacher was looking at stayed silent.

"Yukiko-chan?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Is something wrong, Yukiko-chan? What kind of person do you want to be?"

"I..." the girl finally said. "I... don't know."

… The classroom seemed to fade from view before our eyes, replaced by the standard decorations of the castle that we were used to.

I was the first to speak. "So... That happened."

Yosuke was next. "Uh... Yep. Chie, any light you can shed on this?"

"Huh? Why me?"

"Well you know her best." I answered simply. "If anyone can explain why her shadow just showed us Yukiko in elementary school, it'd be you."

"W-well, uhh... I got nothin'. I'd just be guessing."

"... Okay. Let's keep going then. We'll find out one way or another."

* * *

We reached the fourth floor with almost no trouble, though we were starting to feel a little drained from all the running around. I got a few new persona on the way so that was nice. "Next time we bring food." I suggested.

"Good idea. I could murder a sandwich right now." Yosuke agreed.

"Y'know we could probably get some of those steak skewers to go. From that place in the shopping district?" Chie mentioned.

"That is a fantastic idea. We'll need to bring another bag though. There's no way I'm eating food that's been in a bag full of teeth, scales and metal." I pointed to the bag still hung over my shoulder. "Metalworks guy better pay well for this stuff."

"You're picking up _teeth_ and expecting him to pay you?"

I shrugged. "He asked for weird stuff. I'm giving him weird stuff."

We wandered around looking for the stairs for a while. We found another weird room first. Or hallway, rather. "Hey! This looks like Yukiko's inn!" Chie commented.

Seemed like any other hotel to me but nevermind. Only two people occupied the hallway. One was sitting at a table eating a plate of... something. The other, looking very much like a slightly younger Yukiko, was watching him carefully.

"Um... What are you doing?" Yukiko asked the man.

He looked up at her and his demeanour changed instantly. He had light stubble and his long blue hair was tied in a ponytail. Something seemed familiar about him but I couldn't place it. "I got into a fight... Provoked assault." He answered lazily.

She gasped. "That rumour was true? About the gun fight at the gas station?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "There was only one gun." he answered her as he lit the cigarette and took a drag on it. "But... You know how rumours like to stretch the truth." He finished with a half-smile.

Yukiko giggled girlishly. "I'm sorry. You make it sound like that's normal."

He quirked an eyebrow. "You mean it's not?" another half-smile.

Suddenly the man flicked his cigarette towards us, still lit. It landed about three feet away from me right on top of a large spider, burning it alive.

"Yukiko!" A voice called from... somewhere. "#### ###### ### ######!"

He offered her another half-smile, probably as an apology. He really likes that facial expression. He started moving his mouth as if speaking but there was no sound. The inn hallway gradually became the castle hallway again.

"I wanna be the first one to say it. That guy seemed _awesome_."

"Kind of." I agreed with Yosuke. "I think this is one of Yukiko's memories. It'd explain why some of it's a bit fuzzy. Why'd we see that though?"

Yosuke offered an answer. "Well her shadow keeps going on about her 'Prince Charming', right? That guy seemed pretty damn charming to me."

"I'll say." Chie agreed, a little too emphatically for my liking.

=Aww! Afraid of a little competition?=

-Please. I'm more of a badass than that guy.- "Let's go. We still need to find the stairs."

It took some searching but we finally found the stairs... along with a chest. We'd seen plenty of others like it throughout the castle, some with pretty useful supplies. Even found a snuff soul in one which Teddie tells me is like a really strong soul drop. But this chest seemed... different somehow.

Chie kicked it open. Fog poured out. "Teddie...The glasses aren't working."

"They are!" he shouted back at me. "It's just… foggier!"

"Oh, that is sick!" Chie shouted as the glasses adjusted to the thicker fog. "It's a bunch of raw meat in here!"

Really? Let's check this out. I do have some instant fire, now that I think about it. "UKOBACH!" I shouted, crushing the card. A little goblin flipped the meat into the air with his spoon, flipping it for a minute or so until he passed me the steak. I hopped it from hand to hand until it cooled down enough for me to bite.

Oh wow…

= You've got meat juice all over your hands you know.=

-I don't care. This is the best steak ever.- "Chie, you gotta tr-"

Then Teddie tackled me. "RUN!" he shouted, helping me up as the air got heavy. Then something growled. I turned to face it.

It's a wolf. A grey-haired wolf. Five.

...How the hell does a wolf have an arcana?

Then it howled. A massive arm made of black fire smashed Yosuke into the wall. It vanished and Yosuke fell to the floor, clutching his ribs.

"RUN!" I shouted, leading the escape.

"IT'S STILL FOLLOWING US!" Chie shouted as we ran.

"THROW THE DAMNED MEAT AT IT!" Yosuke shouted.

I skidded on the floor and threw the steak as hard as I could as the wolf bounced off the wall. It jumped into the air and caught it. Then it lowered its head and began chewing it.

"Oh man…" Yosuke managed, sliding down to the ground. "New rule, leader. Don't steal wolf-guy's meat."

"That's a... That's a good rule." I sighed, before the wolf growled again.

"Uh… I think it's still hungry..?" Chie asked.

"RUN!"

Black flames roared across the red carpet, making a wall that split me and Chie from Teddie and Yosuke.

DAMMIT!

"TEDDIE!" I shouted, noticing that this path led to a junction, and the wolf was splitting us up. "USE THAT CRYSTAL THING TO GET YOSUKE OUT! CHIE AND I WILL TRY AND OUT RUN THIS THING!"

I didn't hear Teddie and Yosuke's reply, but I saw their numbers vanish.

=What now?=

Now we try not to die.

"ANGEL!" I shouted, smashing the card and summoning the winged bondage slave to blast the wolf back with a burst of wind. We don't know what its weakness is, but let's find out.

Wolf guy burst through the wind like it was nothing, so let's try something else. "IZANAGI!"

It dodged the lightning. HOW DID IT DODGE LIGHTNING?

"Come on!" Chie shouted, grabbing my wrist and dragging me down the corridor.

The wolf howled, and more blackness blocked our way, but Chie just pulled me into a room and slammed the door shut behind us. She panted for breath. "Oh geez…" she said. "We are so not doing that again…"

I nodded. This room looked safe enough. There was a chest and a shadow in it, but in comparison, it was safe.

The wolf howled behind us, and the Shadow was squished under a massive paw. 

_What_.

The black flames formed to make a bigger wolf, this one bigger than a horse.

**I AM BLACK SHUCK**

**HOUND OF THY DOOM**

Chie started laughing. This just wasn't fair. This was so unfair it wasn't funny. "On three, we let it smash the door down, and we run like hell." I decided. Chie nodded.

"THREE!" she shouted, and we moved as Black Shuck blew the door down. Chie and I took advantage of the chaos and the mess and we ran for it. The wolf howled behind us and Chie glanced behind. "It's following us!"

"Kinda got that!" I shouted, running as hard as I could.

_FWOOSH_

How did it get in front of us?

"No way…" Chie managed as the wolf lunged again.

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGHH! SONUVA BITCH GOT MY SHOULDER!

Chie kicked it in the head and dragged me up as we started running again.

Blood…

So much blood…

Why doesn't my arm hurt…

Why can't I move my right arm...?

The wolf lunged again, and then I felt lighter. It was just standing there, holding something in its mouth.

It… kinda looks like an arm… In a black sleeve…

Oh…

Oh shit…

The wolf left, having taken its pound of flesh.

I just fell to my knees, clutching my shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHH!"

Ugh… Whu…

"You are lucky I was here." A woman sighed. "Are you insane? You could've gotten yourself killed."

You... wha... I'm...

* * *

"Ngh..." What the...

"Seta!" A girl's voice called out my name. I'm... I was... Arm...

Realisation struck. "... My arm! That furry bastard took my... arm?" As I looked down I saw a perfectly functional fingers on a hand at the end of a perfectly functional – if bare – right arm. "... What happened?"

"Are you feeling okay? Does it hurt? Can you move the arm?" The voice which turned out to be Chie's assaulted me with questions.

"I'm fine. See?" I raised my right arm and started clicking my fingers to demonstrate. "So tell me what happened."

"You... That... wolf t-took your arm a-and... this l-lady came and s-she fixed it and you g-grew a new arm." Chie was not taking the new reality of our situation well. I told her it was dangerous in here but that was... It barely seemed real.

"... We need to get out of here. Where are we?"

"O-on the third floor. That lady helped me carry you this far while you were passed out."

"Did she say anything to you? What did she look like?"

"Umm... S-she was blonde and she was wearing blue. And she only said that we were stupid and... she wouldn't help us again."

Margaret, then. I'll need to thank her.

… Strange how someone saving your life reminds you of their name. I stood up, using the wall I was leaning against for support. "Let's get out of here. We're not gonna get any further today. If we get caught I'll stay back and use skills, okay?"

"Heh. Heheh. You do that anyway." she laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

The trip back outside was completely calm. Not a trace of a shadow anywhere. It was kind of strange and somehow just made the castle seem creepier. As we got outside Yosuke and Teddie were right there.

"Thank God, are you guys okay?" Yosuke asked.

"I lost an arm. It grew back."

… Silence. Not the time for humour then.

"You lost an _arm_? Are you kidding me?"

"Yeah. That wolf-"

=Black Shuck=

"-thank you. Black Shuck is _vicious_. If that thing shows up again we _run_. Under no circumstances do we fight. Teddie, I need you to see if you can find us more traesto gems while we're not in this world. I'll try to find out if I can get hold of some in ours."

"Can do, sensei!" Teddie saluted, kind of.

"But, dude, how did your arm _grow back_?" Yosuke asked. It remains a fair question.

"Someone came to our rescue. It won't happen again. So back to my original point, we _run_. Got it?"

"Y-yeah." "Yep." "Yes sir!" They all spoke at once.

"Let's get back home. To relative safety."

* * *

When I got home I headed straight for my room. Nanako never even saw me walk past. I sat at my desk and promptly let my head slam against it.

I _lost_ my _arm_ today.

I huge, monstrous, demonic wolf _ripped off my god damn arm_! How the hell do you deal with that?

…Pixie stayed silent. One time I was hoping for an answer and it turns out she doesn't have one.

I turned my head to look at my new arm. Looked basically the same. Barely muscled. A little pale. For all intents and purposes it was an arm attached to my shoulder and therefore _my_ arm.

Yet it somehow still seems foreign to me.

I moved to my bed and lay there, attempting to fall asleep. Hours seemed to pass.

It just isn't _right._

_

* * *

_A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank SamJaz for writing the section on Black Shuck. Everything from Chie opening the chest to Margaret showing up, all him. Round of applause, ladies and gentlemen.

Yeah. That was what I was teasing here last chapter. Pretty awesome, right?

RRRRRREVIEWS!

**ravenwingcorps**: Outside leg, pointing upward. The head of the club would stick out the top. I could've explained it better maybe. And I agree on the fight. I'm not good at writing them but that excuse won't fly for too long so I promise I'll get better.

**Heraklinios**: I keep half-intending to read the manga. Then I find something better to do. I might get around to it.

**Patcheresu**: When I start my English degree later this month maybe I'll have some idea of what the hell you just said. And as for MAX social links... probably yes. Nothing's set in stone (except the things SamJaz set in stone) but we'll go through all of them.

**Kisdota**: YAHAHAHAHA! I've been unintentionally ripping you off! Sorry, dude. I'll be reading your fic at some point though, it seems.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Yeah, as someone said, I totally stole that song from Hiimdaisy's comic. As for the cosplay thing... I'm not sure. I intended it as a throwaway joke at first but there's some potential there. We'll see.

**Enlightener**: Wasn't so much a joke as a tiny reference for those in the know (which, honestly, should be everyone reading this story. I mean seriously, guys. Read Fairly English Story. You won't regret it).

**Faroush**: Heh. I totally forgot about that line. Glad someone got it. And the name is due to SamJaz. He's been calling him Seta Souji in every fic he's appeared in. I forget whether I ever pointed out that it's backwards but I'm used to it. So yeah. First name: Seta. Last name: Souji.

Reviews done. Everybody go home. If you'll excuse me I need to learn how to play a certain sport that as a Brit I find completely distasteful.

Thanks for reading.


	12. Social Link GO!

{04/19/11: Tuesday}

* * *

Tuesday morning arrived with the now familiar jazz music of my alarm. And an oddly well-timed phone call.

_\_Hello._\_

I tried to speak but it came out as a low grumbling. I cleared my throat. "Usually you wait for the answerer to say that. Who is this?"

_\_Margaret. We met at the Velvet Room the other day._\_

That woke me up fully. So many questions. Prioritize. "Putting aside the question of how you got this number for the moment and the fact that you already have a direct line to my brain and thus didn't need to call me, you were the one who saved me yesterday, no?"

_\_... I cannot answer that._\_

Suggesting... she wasn't supposed to? Interesting. "In that case... Please thank whoever did for me. I owe them my life and it's a debt I'll repay if I can."

_\_... I will pass on the message._\_

"Good. So why _did_ you call me, if not for that?"

_\_Yesterday's events should have left an impression on you. Going to save your friends is a selfless and noble deed. We encourage and support you in this matter but to proceed to hastily in that quest will mean facing one battle after the next. For many of these battles, you are ill prepared. Developing your skills as well as your social links outside of life-threatening situations may be more beneficial in the long-term than charging forward repeatedly._\_

"That's good advice." It's pretty clear I'm not ready for that monster yet... "Thank you, Margaret."

_\_Indeed. Remember the importance of moving at a sustainable pace. Now then, if you'll excuse me..._\_

She hung up. Somebody doesn't know how to end a phone call. Oh well.

I looked at the uniform I wore yesterday. Completely missing a sleeve. That mutt will pay for destroying my badass jacket... Eventually, at least. I took out my spare and got ready for school.

=The false bravado isn't fooling me, y'know.=

-It isn't for fooling _you_. It's for fooling _me_.-

* * *

"Sports clubs are accepting new members today! I wonder which one I should join..."

On the way to school I came across two girls having a conversation. The topic interested me so I listened in.

"Weren't you asking the same thing last year? And the year before that?"

"Was I? Whatever. I shouldn't join a sports team anyway. I need to focus on my entrance exam this year!"

She has a short attention span, I guess. Still, if social links work how I think they do, a sports team seems like the perfect opportunity to start a new one.

* * *

School went as you'd expect it to, except for Yosuke and Chie glancing at me from time to time. I'm not quite sure why though. Maybe they think my arm'll drop off again or something. Chie approached me as soon as the last class ended.

"So... Are we going in again today?" She asked. There wasn't a hint of which answer she was hoping for. I suppose either had significant downsides now.

"No. We're not strong enough yet." I answered simply.

"Well... That's true I guess... But doesn't that mean we should go in just to train then? We could stay on the lower floors an' just beat the little ones."

"We need to train but we don't need to be in there to do it. You're a decent fighter on your own. Yosuke and I..." I tried to think of a way to phrase it without hurting my own pride.

"Stink." Yosuke finished as he walked over to us.

I sighed. "Wasn't what I was going to say but... Yeah. _That_. So we need to learn to fight. And the only person we know who is good at that is..."

"... Me?" Chie said disbelievingly. "You want me to teach you guys to fight?"

"Pretty much, yeah. You must know something about fighting with weapons, right?"

"Well... Not as much as fighting unarmed but... Yeah."

"Great. Then we'll get started tomorrow." I said with a grin.

"Huh? Why not today?" Chie whined. Seems she's kind of looking forward to this now. Heheh.

"Today..." I paused dramatically. "Today I make friends for great power."

Yosuke laughed. "You're joining the football team, aren't ya?"

"Depends. What other sports clubs are there?"

"There aren't any others. It's a long story. Come on, I'll tell ya on the way to the field."

* * *

Okay. There is no way that story is real. Some guys from another school visit on a trip, split into two teams and have a gigantic brawl on the floodplain? That just doesn't happen. It's like the plot of some terrible manga or something.

Kondo-sensei seeing the whole thing and being inspired to start a gridiron football team I get though. If his so called 'English' lessons are anything to go by, I doubt he's all there if you know what I mean.

"So you joining up too?" I asked Yosuke.

"You kidding? I've got way better things to do than get the snot beat out of me by gorillas in 20lbs of protective gear."

"Yeah, I guess you're not really built for that kind of thing." Waaaaitaminute...

=Oh this is gonna be good!=

"Uhh... W-why are you looking at me like that...?"

"Hmhm. Yosuke, you're joining the football team!"

"WHAT? No! No no I'm not! You just said yourself I wouldn't be any good!"

"Exactly! Strength, agility, good reflexes, all good skills for a football player. And also good things to have if you want to be any good in a fight!"

"But I... But you... But...!"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Think of it this way. If you join the football team, you won't just be Yosuke Hanamura, the guy who crashes his bike all the time and gets kicked in the balls. You'll be Yosuke Hanamura, the athlete! Warrior of the 10 yard line! Hero of Yasogami High! Master of the scrimmage! Custodian of the-"

"Alright, alright! I get it! I'll join."

"Good 'cos I had _no_ idea where I was gonna go with that last one."

=And you said you were tired of making speeches.=

-Yeah... Guess I watched that animé about drills a few too many times.-

=Drills?=

-Drills, hammy speeches and FIGHTING SPIRIT! Pretty much all I remember.-

* * *

The so-called football field was almost exactly as I'd expected it to be considering the team was only starting this year. The yard lines hadn't even been marked yet. They were using cones instead. Uprights were done though so that'll be enough for practice I guess.

As soon as he arrived on the field, Kondo-sensei had everyone who showed up line up and stand at attention, even going so far as to say "Ten hut!" It was actually a decent pun but it looked like only he and I understood it.

So no one else knows the rules. _Great_.

Kondo started pacing in front of us as he began speaking. "Gentlemen, you likely all have your own reasons for being here. Maybe you thought it would be a good time. Maybe you thought being an athlete would make you popular with the ladies. Maybe you just had nothing better to do. _DO NOT KID YOURSELVES!_" Half the line up jumped at the sudden change in volume.

"This field is no ordinary field. It is a field of _battle_. It is _not_ a place for the _weak_! Those of you who lack the resolve to fight may leave. Join the band. You can play at our games and watch as real men stand shoulder to shoulder against those who would stand against us. But those of you with the balls to fight for your school, for your team and for yourselves are welcome to stand amongst we righteous few who_ not only _hold firm as the enemy try to take us down, but also strike back with such unrivalled fury that they tremble in fear of our might!"

Yosuke whispered to me. "Dude, his speeches are almost as bad as yours!"

"That was uncalled for!" I whispered back.

"Those of you who wish to flee from this field, this is your one opportunity. You'll be a coward but an honest one. There is... _less_ shame in that."

All of us watched the rest of the line to see if anyone would run. Two first years shrugged and walked away. The remaining fifteen or so of us stayed rooted to the spot.

Kondo grinned at us. "Welcome to the Yasogami High American football team. Get to know your teammates. You will be going through Hell together. We start practice drills in ten and get a basic idea of your individual strengths. We'll then be assigning positions. Good luck, gentlemen." He turned and walked towards the principal who appeared to be observing.

"So", I said to Yosuke as the atmosphere relaxed a little ,"Kondo-sensei is, uhh, _different_ today, huh?"

"That's one way of putting it. Another being 'totally freaking insane'."

"Granted. So what position you think you'll end up in?" I asked.

Yosuke looked towards the sky. "Well... maybe... merfernerhem?"

Uhh... what? "Run that by me again? I didn't quite catch it."

"M-mid... field?"

"... You have no idea how to play this sport either, do you?"

"None. Why did you think I didn't wanna join?"

Lazy. Or a wuss. Or both. "Don't worry about it. I don't think anyone else here knows how to play either."

"I do!" A guy with a bandage over his nose walked over to us. Eleven. Strength. "Daisuke Nagase. Nice to meet you. Hey, Yosuke-kun."

"Seta Souji. You too. So you know how to play?" I asked.

"All the basic rules and that most plays boil down to either running or passing." he replied.

"That's good. You don't really need to know more than that unless you're the captain or the quarterback so you're probably okay."

"Ha! What, you think I won't be the quarterback?" he asked with a grin.

Nope. Because Kondo is gonna ask a question when he gets back and it's gonna leave him with few options. Like one. "We'll see." was the answer I gave.

"ALRIGHT, RECRUITS!" Kondo interrupted with a yell. "GEAR UP AND BACK ON THE FIELD IN 5 MINUTES! GO GO GO GO GO!"

15 minutes later – unsurprisingly, some struggled putting on their protective gear – we were all back on the field and as ready as we'd ever be.

"I have three questions for all of you. Answer honestly. One: How many of you know how to play American football?" About half of us raised a hand, myself and Daisuke included. "Alright. How many of you have played before?" Three of us, myself still included. Daisuke, I noted, lowered his hand. Kondo walked over to one of the other guys. "How much experience and what position?"

"Two informal games on the defensive and offensive line." he answered.

Kondo looked him up and down. "Centre defense. Second string offensive line." he stated. "Name?"

"Dokuro Naka."

The hell? Who names their kid 'skull'?

I hadn't noticed Kondo approaching me. "Experience and position?" He repeated the question from before.

"I was second string quarterback when I was living in the US. Played in three games when the team's regular quarterback broke his wrist."

Unsurprisingly, that got a few whispers going. "... We'll see how you do in the drills. Name?"

"Seta Souji."

"And last but not least", the coach announced as he walked over to the last of us ,"Experience and position."

"A year as a receiver back in the US."

How did I not notice he was American before?

"Fantastic. At least we have one player who'll definitely be a real asset on the field. Name?"

"Juro Takei."

Kondo stepped back to address the whole team. "You will all now run drills to see where your strengths lie. Let's start with the 40yd dash. Ichijo. You're up first."

* * *

A full three hours later it was over. Kondo told us that positions would be posted on the noticeboard by lunch tomorrow but few of us had the energy to pay attention. After leaving school a few of us decided to get some food before heading home. Thus Yosuke, Dokuro, Daisuke, his friend Kou, Juro and myself headed for Aiya, a restaurant whose only claim to fame was its bowls filled with gargantuan portions of meat. That was all I needed before insisting we eat there.

Dissenters may have been threatened with violence. They also may have been Yosuke.

Daisuke was in good spirits. "Man, no wonder you were so confident you'd be quarterback. You know you're gonna be the go-to guy for the team now, right?"

"Yeah. That seems to be happening a lot lately." I replied absently. They weren't kidding about these portions being _huge_. "So what positions are you guys expecting to be?"

Dokuro rolled his eyes. "You already know mine."

Yosuke shrugged. "Don't ask me. I still don't know the rules."

"Daisuke had an answer. "Probably defense. Don't know where though."

"Receiver. Obviously." Juro stated flatly.

Kou grinned. "I think I blew Kondo's mind a little with the dash. Wherever he puts me, I'll be running a lot."

"Running back then." I suggested.

"If that's what it's called, sure."

"Heh. Here's to the team then." I raised my glass. "Let's kick ass and kick more ass."

"One of the best toasts I've ever heard!" Daisuke laughed.

"Almost brings a tear to the eye." Kou agreed, miming wiping away tears.

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou has established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Strength Arcana_

_

* * *

_"This is a game?"

I was showing Nanako a video of a football game on my laptop. The last game I played in, in fact. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I kind of forgot how complicated it can seem when you don't know how it works."Yeah. It _is_ kind of confusing until you learn the rules."

She winced as our running back got taken down by one opposition's linebackers. "It looks scary."

I laughed. Couldn't help it. Compared to how I spent last week a football game seems like taking a relaxing walk in a field. A field filled with huge dudes in armour. "It depends on who you are. If you're that little guy then yeah, it probably is scary. But it's a game where you have to trust the team to do what they do best. It's the whole team's job to keep that little guy safe while he runs."

"So which one will you be?"

Oh, right. I never said I was in this game. "That's me right there." I said as I pointed to the QB.

… Right as the opposition broke through our line and rushed me. "We, uh, we wear a lot of pads and stuff so we don't get too injured."

The conversation kind of died there. In hindsight, probably wasn't a good idea.

=Ya think? You humans die so easy, you'd think you'd be more careful.=

-Where's the fun in being careful?-

=No wonder demons are scared of this world. You guys are insane.=

-Huh?-

=Nevermind.=

… Weird.

* * *

{04/20/11: Wednesday}

* * *

"Yo, Seta!"

Yosuke caught up with me on the way to school that morning, sans bike.

"I came up with an idea I've been meaning to ask you about." I raised quizzical brow in response. "We're able to enter TVs now. Have you ever tried sticking your hand in a TV when something is on? Like, have you ever touched a TV when the Midnight Channel was on?"

I haven't, now that I think about it. "No. Not sure it'd be beneficial if it did work the way you're thinking though. Unless you're suggesting we head in at midnight through our tiny TVs at home, of course."

"Yeah. I guess it wouldn't be a great idea to use it that way."

"Still, we should try it. The more we know about how this stuff works, the better. It's a good thought."

* * *

At lunch, the football team gathered around the noticeboard to check what position they were given. Most players were assigned two positions as there weren't enough players for them only to play offense or defense. Naturally there was a bit of confusion as half the team didn't know what the positions meant.

"Offensive line... What's that?" Yosuke asked me.

I explained for him. "At the start of every play, the offensive and defensive lines face each other. The offensive line's job is to either break through the defensive line or keep it busy, depending on the play being made. Basically, your position is like a sledgehammer hitting a brick wall. I'm not quite sure why the coach put you there, actually. I figured you'd be a receiver or something."

Daisuke was a linebacker, Kou was our running back, Dokuro was defensive and offensive linesman, Juro was a receiver and defensive cornerback and unsurprisingly I was the quarterback. "We need more players." I said, stating the obvious.

"It's the first year. It's not surprising no one wants in. Most of the old soccer team are still bitter and the basketball team think the sport is stupid. Even the principal was against this idea but Kondo wouldn't budge." Kou informed us.

"So that's why he was at the first practice." I surmised.

"Yeah. Turns out he wanted to add a kendo team instead."

Figures. That would've been a lot more useful to me.

The team dispersed to get something to eat before classes started again.

* * *

One thing I'll say about the teachers here. They are freaking _weird as hell_. From Pharaoh lady to hand-puppet guy to the perverted Bugs Bunny I call my homeroom teacher, no one in this school is normal. Thankfully, school is now over. That means Chie is about to teach me and Yosuke how to fight off the crazy. "So what's the first lesson, Myagi-san?"

For some reason, Chie's expression made me a little nervous. Something in that smile was... unsettling. Even predatory. I almost thought I was looking at her shadow again. "I wouldn't know. I'm not your teacher. Yours is in the gym. Yosuke, you follow me."

Yosuke looked to me, shrugged and did as ordered.

=She's planned something.=

-Gee, ya think?-

=I _know_. And it's gonna be funnnnn-ny!=

-And there was me thinking you'd stopped mocking me.-

=NEVER! Heehee!=

-I don't think that had the effect you wanted. Your voice is basically a little squeak in my brain. Shouting at me has no impact. Just sounds cute.-

=Hmph!=

-See, that doesn't work that well either-

=LALALALALA I'M NOT LISTENING LALALA=

-Ugh. Fine. Just shut up.-

=You're still a meanie.=

-Always.-

The gym was empty. The basketball team used to practice here after school but since that team was cannibalised to make the american football team the place has no purpose outside of school hours. I thought Chie said my teacher was here... I decided to check out the changing room but as soon as I neared the door it swung open with force.

"DEFEND YOURSELF!"

"Wha? AHH!" All I saw was a giant beard flying at me as I dove to the side. "What the hell are you doing? Who are... you." Oh.

Now it makes sense.

The principal threw a bokken at me as I got to my feet. "I believe I said 'defend yourself'. I did _not_ say 'run away and cry like a blubbering child'! Now get on your feet, take up your sword and defend!"

This... is going to suck.

* * *

Just this one time... This one and only time... I am truly grateful for your presence, Tinkerbell... _Especially_ for your healing skill.

=Oh yeah. You're alllll nice when you need me.=

I met up with Yosuke at the shopping district after the principal had enough of kicking my ass. He must've had the same idea I did about getting some good food after being put through that torment.

I'm assuming he also went through torment. If not I'mma kick his ass out of spite.

"Damn. You look like hell." he commented.

"Despite healing skills, I still _feel_ like hell too." I answered. "Did you know Chie got the principal to teach me kendo?"

"Heheh. Yeah. She told me after we were done. She was looking up fighting styles in the library yesterday and the principal saw her. She happened to mention you wanted to learn how to wield a sword and he just offered to teach you. Just like that. Can you believe it?"

… Not really. "There's gotta be some catch."

"Probably. No use thinking about that now though. We're learning to fight and that's the important thing, right?"

"Yeah. I guess."

We decided to eat at Souzai Daigaku. Meat. Need meat.

"Sticking chunks of steak in croquettes. This really is the country, huh?"

"Not like that's a bad thing. As far as the food is concerned, at least." I answered as I tore into my meal.

"Man, you're just like Chie. She calls this stuff 'tender and juicy'.

"He's from Junes. Yasogami High School, right?" Hm?

Two women were gossiping loudly nearby. Sounded like they were talking about Yosuke. "His classmate... Sato-san? Went out of business."

"This shopping district could disappear and yet..." That was all I heard. They'd walked out of earshot.

"Sorry about that." Yosuke apologised, looking sullen. "I'm infamous around here."

"Must be tough being blamed like that when it's nothing to do with you."

"Yeah. It's mostly my parents that have to deal with it. Anyway, there's nothing I can do about it." He shrugged. "I don't think there's anyone in Inaba who doesn't know me. I don't mind but it sucks that I gotta mind my manners."

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Magician Arcana._

Oh, really? Sweet. That was easy. Making these links stronger is gonna be a cinch if this one's anything to go by.

* * *

{04/21/11: Thursday}

* * *

Nothing of note happened all day except for Yosuke letting me know the weather would be nice for a while so we're okay for the time being. Good news for us. We need this time to prepare.

Football practice was not so uneventful as the rest of the day, however.

"Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. Our first game has been scheduled. On May 18th we will play a friendly match against Detarame High School. Their team also only formed this year so this will be beneficial to both sides as good practice for the tournament later this year. Any questions?"

One of the players whose name I didn't know raised a hand. "Sir, some of us don't even know all the rules yet. Should we really schedule a game this soon?"

"Learn by doing, son. Learn by doing. Also I'll be teaching the rules in every P.E class this week and next so you damn well better know the rules before next month's game. Anyone else? No? Good."

The rest of practice was essentially the same as the first one, except players practised the skills they would need in their positions. So most of my late afternoon was spent sprinting and passing. Out of all the players I knew personally, Yosuke had it worst. Taken down over and over again. I still don't get why he's a linesman.

* * *

{22/04/11: Friday}

* * *

"No. No way in hell."

"But you guys still need to train more!"

"Through shadows, football and learning to fight I haven't had time to relax all week. I need rest. I am not the energizer bunny."

"... The what?"

"The..." Japan. No one here gets that reference. "Nevermind. Just... Give us a break today."

"Fine." Chie relented. "But you've gotta tell the principal. I'm not doing it for you."

"... Sure." I am _so _gonna die.

The trip to the principal's office was not enough time to think of a plan. He really wants me to learn to fight and quickly. I need some way to bargain with him but without knowing what he's really after I've got nothing. I knocked on the door.

"Enter."

I found him sitting at his desk filling out some paperwork. "Excuse me, principal..." Holy crap I don't know his name. What's his name what's his name what's his... Why don't I just call him principal? Yeah, that'll do. "I was wondering if I could skip our training session this afternoon..." Please don't kill me.

He rose from his chair slowly and walked over to the bokken resting on a table near the door. He picked it up and handed it to me. "If you can touch me with that, I will allow you to leave."

I have three options. I could try to hit him, fail, and go train. I could give up and go train. Or...

=I approve of this plan.=

I opened the door and walked into the hallway, turned and threw the bokken at him.

He caught it.

"See you on Sunday, sensei."

* * *

Yosuke had a plan for how we could spend our newfound free time. He dragged me to Okina City. I'd gotten used to the quiet of Inaba pretty quickly so the loud and crowded city grated on my nerves a little. Yosuke, on the other hand, seemed right at home.

"Mmmmm! It's been a while since I breathed this kind of air! I'm just a poor little city boy drawn to that urban scent. Wait a minute. Am I starting to sound like Teddie?"

"No bear puns, out-of-date slang or cryptic talk. Also, I haven't tried to strangle you yet. So signs point to 'no'."

"Ahh, you say that but I think you love the furry little bastard deep down." he joked. "That aside, what should we-" Yosuke's phone started beeping. "Oh. An e-mail. Just a sec."

He glanced at it and let out a grunt of annoyance. "More spam. Guess someone got my address. I get a lot of spam."

"Easy enough to block, isn't it?" I asked. Never been a major problem for me.

"Even when I do they change domains so there's no point. And I don't wanna change my address. I haven't since before we moved to Inaba. I mean, what if someone wants to contact me? It's hard to call, y'know?" … I know where this is going. I can sympathise. "If I called people just to tell them my number changed they'd get annoyed. And some of them might not want to contact me at all... Don't look at me like that."

"Like what? Dude, I get it. I have over 200 numbers in my phone, 90% of which haven't been used in over a year, and I haven't changed my number since '05. I know exactly where you're coming from."

"... Inaba suits me just fine. Plus, I got something I need to do there."

"We."

"Right. We. Sorry. I'm countin' on ya, partner!"

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt have your blessing when creating personae of the Magician Arcana._

"What should we do first?"

I spotted an arcade. "First", I announced with a raised finger ,"I will destroy you on Street Fighter IV."

* * *

He destroyed me on Street Fighter IV. Feh. I'll get him back one day.

* * *

A/N: Social Link GO! A full chapter of 'em!

So a few things to note. Obviously the Strength link is gonna be kind of different this time out. For one thing, it's a team link (like Fool) rather than focusing on one character. So I'll probably include both Daisuke and Kou's shenanigans as well as adding some stuff with Yosuke and the OCs. And I believe I foreshadowed a tournament. Fun stuff.

Also you probably noticed the date being added. Might help you but it's mostly for me so I don't lose track.

Also also, this chapter took longer than a week. I apologise. Trying to get a student loan is a pain when the application system screws you over at every turn. Frustration completely killed my motivation for writing the happy happy. Still, technically I'm still ahead of schedule by two weeks if you go by the chapter/week count. I will never fully fall behind schedule if I can help it. Promise.

RRRRRviews!... Reviews.

**SamJaz**: I don't mind the sport being gridiron really (though I will NEVER call it football outside of the story). Means I get to play with it more. And are you sure Yukiko's memories didn't make you... snrk? Ohoho! Hohoho! Hmmm! I'm funny.

**NightmareSyndrom**: SamJaz checked. Wrong arm. Minato lost his left thanks to the Empress fight. Seta lost his right. So it's an idea I can't use. A shame too. That might've been fun.

**Gryphon117**: Igor is indeed being more open with Seta. Why is up for debate (even I'm not sure yet) but best guess would be Seta has a direct and overly talkative voice coming directly from the demon world. Either Pixie would've let it slip or he would've figured it out on his own. Best to tell him in a controlled environment rather than let him find out at a potentially inopportune time. Igor didn't tell Minato because he didn't need to know. Igor told Seta because he couldn't avoid Seta finding out. At least... That's my best guess. ;-)

Reviews over. New chapter next week.

Thanks for reading.


	13. Complications

{04/23/11: Saturday}

* * *

Ahhh. Saturday. Half day of school. Was nice to get last night's training off but this is good too.

"Alright, ladies! Tackle practice! Each of you runners and recievers are gonna try to get to the end of the field while getting past the entirety of our defense! Takei, you're in both groups so when you're not running you're defending, got it?"

"Yes sir!" he replied in english.

"Good. Then you're up first. Defense, form up!"

So much for a relaxing afternoon.

* * *

"So what's going on, Kou?" I asked him.

Kou had invited me to Aiya, saying there was something he needed to talk to me about. Apparently I'm the guy on the team to go to now. Works to my advantage in this social link thing, I guess.

"Well... I'm kinda worried about Daisuke. You noticed how out of it he was this afternoon, right?"

He wasn't wrong. Daisuke was kind of just standing around for the few times I got to the linebackers in our practice. He made maybe one half-hearted attempt to take me down but that was it. "Yeah. He wasn't into it at all. I take it you know why?"

"Well... It's kind of... I don't know. See, when we were in middle school he had a girlfriend. He was, like, really into her, y'know? Then one day she broke up with him out of nowhere and he never really got over it. Since then... I don't think he put his all into anything. And I think it's getting worse."

"Worse?" So much for time healing all wounds. "And... This is the part where you explain how I can help. 'Cos I got nothing. I mean I'd be happy to help but..."

"No, you're right. I have a plan. See, I figure all of his problems are down to one thing: his lovelife. So I bet if we set up a group date or something? Get him a girlfriend, we can snap him out of this stuff he's going through."

"... Are you sure about this? There's gotta be more going on than him just being lonely." I reasoned.

"No, no! It'll work. Trust me. Just let me know when you're free and I'll set it up."

I sighed. "Alright. Fine."

"Thanks, man! This'll work wonders, I promise!" Kou grinned.

* * *

{04/24/11: Sunday}

* * *

I sighed. I've been dreading this day. The principal is going to tear me a new one for skipping Friday's session. I called Yosuke to tell him I'd meet him at the Junes food court when our training sessions finished. His frantic reply of 'Surethingkaybye' implied his session already started. I should get moving.

As we'd planned already, I met the principal on the floodplain for today's training. He appeared to have been waiting for me for a while. "S-sorry for skipping out on Friday's session, sensei." I apologised, trying to avoid his stare.

"Do not apologise. You passed the condition I had set. _Technically._ However, we must make up for your laziness today." He settled into a fighting stance, weapon at the ready.

I grumbled to myself. "Of course we must." I'm never getting a rest day again.

After a while of the principal poking holes in my stance he seemed to come to a realisation. "It's interesting." he finally said.

"What is?"

"Your stance. It makes no sense. It is like your left side is trying to take one stance – an ineffective one, while your right seems to be shifting ever so slightly out of it. Towards something more effective."

"I don't get it."

"Frankly, neither do I. It is very strange. Thankfully you have decent strength and agility. The only real problem is you don't know the correct stances in order to effectively use the abilities you already have." He paused to think. "We will begin again. Imitate my stance." he ordered, taking a different stance to the one he was using before. "Now follow and imitate my movements precisely."

* * *

In all, we spent around six hours going over the basics of kendo and he asked that in lieu of next week's sessions to practice my form an hour a day. This probably would've been a better place to start but hindsight is always 20/20. He must've figured I had no experience in a combat situation so wanted to give me some before teaching me anything. Oh well. After the session, I bowed to the principal as he made to leave before leaving myself, Yosuke was waiting for me at the usual table in the food court.

"Wow. You look less like hell than last time." he observed as I walked over.

"Yeah, thanks. He decided kicking my ass wasn't important anymore and moved on to teaching me proper form."

"Heh. Chie's methods are less sophisticated then. She just keeps attacking me until I can stop her. Or hit her back. I'm getting better though so I guess it's working." he shrugged. "Y'know, hanging out here after training isn't so bad. Even if we're short on cash we can get a little discount here. Though... There's a small price to pay in exchange for that."

"Oh, there you are, Hanamura!" a girl's voice called from nearby.

Yosuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "For example."

Two girls in colourful outfits walked over to our table and Yosuke stood to talk with them. "Hello there, senpai. What's wrong today?"

"You better say something to that blockhead manager! I told him I can't come in on Saturdays or Sundays. But he's saying I have to be here since we're low on staff. And if I don't, he'll fire me!" one of the girls whined.

"Isn't there some kinda law against that?" the other added. Yosuke can fire people, right? He really should.

"Err, but... Didn't you guys say you could work weekends during your interview?" he asked, trying to be diplomatic.

"Well yeah! They wouldn't hire us if we didn't!"

"….. Alright. I got it. I'll try talking with him. But you don't want to get fired, right? It'd make it easier for me to strike a deal if you could show up every now and then on weekends." Yosuke offered.

"... We'll think about it." the first girl answered.

"You'd better do it, 'kay?" the other added before both girls wandered off, noses in the air.

"Dude, I know you're trying not to cause problems here but those two signed a contract didn't they? Doesn't that kind of mean they could and realistically _should_ be fired if they refuse to work?" I asked Yosuke as the girls were still just within hearing range. One shot me a glare. I raised an eyebrow, then glared back.

He sighed wearily. "I'd agree with you but it's hard enough finding people willing to work for 'the enemy'. We can't afford alienating people who're fine with it."

"Oh, Yosuke-kun! Just the man I was looking for!" Another voice.

Yosuke sighed again. "Sorry, Seta. Could you give me a minute?"

"No problem." I replied with an attempt at a sympathetic smile.

He was gone for about 20 minutes talking to various people who sought an audience with the Junes heir. He got back looking even more tired than he already was. "Phew. I'm beat. I'm not the complaint department." he complained.

"Was impressive how you handled them though. Never once lost your temper with them."

"Dude, it's nothing but trouble! Geez. Everyone's just trying to take advantage of me as the Junes kid. Maybe I wouldn't mind if I was free but we have the murders to deal with. I don't have time for this. Once I started worrying about that stuff, I knew I couldn't bother with anything else. I have to do what I can."

"That's a good attitude to have." I complimented.

"Haha! I never thought I'd be talking about serious stuff like this. Before I moved here it was all small talk. Stupid, trivial things. I thought that was fine. It's only with you guys that I talk seriously like this. I dunno why, but I feel like I don't have to lie. Especially with you. You've already seen the worst of me and all."

"Yosuke, if that's was the worst you had to offer, it was pretty tame. I figure that makes you a good person."

"Heh. Well... thinking about it now, if someone had to see that, I'm glad it was you. It's a bit late now but... thanks for going in with me that time."

"You're welcome."

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Magician Arcana._

"I'm starving!" Yosuke exclaimed. "I'll see if I can get a deal with the guy at the counter and we'll try out the Meat Lover's Combo."

Must... resist... urge... to hug!

* * *

-Hey, Tink? You still in there... here?-

=What is it hm?=

-What's going on? You've been a little quiet recently.-

=Nothin' it's nothing. Just not got much to say is all. Nothin' to say.=

-You _always_ have something to say.-

=Well... The human world is... kind of boring.=

-You were expecting something different?-

=Demons talk about this place and say such bad things. Scared of it. Killing and killing and dying and killing! I saw no killing. Really, you and the others talk about people dying sometimes and it's this _huuuuuge_ thing! I don't get it.=

-Does that not happen in the demon world? Dying?-

=Mmmmn. Not the same way. Demons die yes they do. But they come back. Different, maybe but they come back. Big ones even come back same as before. But here even demons die and are just gone! N-not used to that.=

-Oh, I kind of get it. So there's no fear of dying for demons since they don't really die. But if they come here they can die as easily as anything else that lives here so they're scared?-

=We're scared of dying sure. We die and we're different. Not who we were before. Same memories but... no attachment. Different thing. Different life. Not us anymore. But demons die here and thoughts are gone. Feelings are gone. Memories gone. Like they never existed in the first place. Humans are like that anyway. Used to it, maybe?=

-I wouldn't say 'used to it'. More like we ignore it. Or deny it'll happen by turning to religion... Ironic, now that I think about it. We turn to religion to pretend we won't cease to exist someday and in doing so, unwittingly create demons who are more afraid of the concept than we are.-

=Humans are weird.=

-Yeah, we are.-

=So... When you getting rid of me?=

-I'm not-

=IN. YOUR-=

-In my head. Yeah. Sorry. I don't think you're strong enough to deal with that world anymore. If I had more space or-

=No you wouldn't.=

-... Right. Sorry. Next time we go in I'll be using you to fuse another persona.-

=... Okay. Kept me longer than you had to so... Okay. A favour though?=

-Ask.-

=Use me for some fights first? Makes me stronger. Want to be stronger before I go back.=

-Sure thing.-

* * *

{04/25/11: Monday}

* * *

First thing I did on waking up was check the weather. Chie and Yosuke had been letting me know what it was going to be like for a while but I should really do this myself.

The outlook was not good. Three straight days of rain leading up to the weekend. I e-mailed Yosuke and Chie. We're going in on Wednesday. The first rainy day. They can prepare however they want as long as they're ready.

=Just two days. Two days left.=

-You're not going anywhere yet. You're stuck in my company for a little while longer.-

=Hmhm! Weird. Kinda happy about that. Really weird.=

-Thanks.-

* * *

Other students had been talking about joining culture clubs all day. Yay for more social link options. I have no idea how to play an instrument though so I decided to join the drama club. Acting can't be that hard, right?

"Ready? The sixth chick cheek's shixth cheep... Argh!"

He's speaking in tongues! Call the exorcist! The power of persona compels you!

"The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick! You're still not saying it correctly. Come on, you're our club president." a girl said. Ohh, tongue twisters. Okay then.

"Oh, a new guy?" the guy who is apparently the drama club president asked rhetorically. "You're Seta from second year, right? The transfer student?"

"Not a label I'm fond of but it seems to have stuck. Seta Souji. Nice to meet you all."

"I see, I see. Welcome to the drama club. I'm the club president, Nagai. And this is..."

"I'm Yumi Ozawa." the girl from before interrupted. "I'm in the second year, same as you. It's nice to meet you."

Another girl joined the conversation. "Yumi, are you trying to get your hooks into the new guy already?"

"Huh? Not in the slightest. Anyway, let's continue practicing."

"We don't have a stage and we haven't decided on a script yet so we're just training. I'm sure you'll catch on. Our club meets on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays." Nagai told me.

"It's not like we're not gonna throw you out if you don't show up but the more you train, the better you get, right? Oh yeah, I'm the club's vice president. I'm not really much help, though." said yet another girl. Holy crap. There's only two guys in this club.

"That's okay, Maaya. I know you put a lot of effort into it. Besides, you're so cute."

"Don't call me Maaya in front of everyone!"

And they say the band is the club for horny students. "Seta-kun", Yumi called to me ,"forget about them! Let's practice, okay? We'll start with voice lessons."

Yumi and I practiced on our own for a while. She was giving me some pointers since I was the newbie. "That's right. Focus on your stomach. Push the air out... Now, say "Ahh"!"

What was this lesson for again...? Was it the projection one? I should be loud then, right? "AAARGH!"

"Wahh! Don't yell! You'd strain your throat!"

Whoops.

=Hahahaha! You just yelled in her face!=

-You could have said something.-

=Nope. Couldn't. Too funny.=

Yumi was looking around, confused. "Huh! School's over already! And everybody's already gone! I didn't even notice..."

"Huh... Me either."

"I'll see you next time. Come to practice, okay?" she half-ordered.

Well if it's an order... "Yes, Ma'am!" I saluted.

Yumi giggled and smiled at me. "I'm glad to see you can take orders. Well, fate must've brought us here. Let's do the best with what we have."

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou has established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Sun Arcana_

"Oh yeah. Have you ever gone to see a play or musical being performed live?" she asked when time started moving again. It freaks me out how used to that I've gotten.

"Can't say I have."

"I have a DVD you can borrow. It'll definitely help your technique. The other members in the drama club don't watch this kind of stuff or even talk about it." she complained.

* * *

{04/26/11: Tuesday}

* * *

Yosuke and Chie both caught up with me on my way to school. Chie voiced what both of them were thinking. "So we're really going in tomorrow?"

"We don't really have much choice." I replied. "I'd have liked for Yosuke and I to get more training but we can't afford to wait any longer. Our deadline is Friday. If we don't get her out tomorrow, we rest up on Thursday and go back in on Friday." I turned to face them both. "And we don't come back out until she's safe. Are you two okay with that?"

Nods from both Chie and Yosuke.

I turned again to continue walking. "You two do whatever makes you feel prepared for tomorrow. Yosuke, if you want to skip football practice today I'll cover for you."

"Thanks." Yosuke replied.

"I'm gonna head to the metalworks tomorrow to get us all new weapons. Yosuke, would you feel comfortable with bladed weapons?"

"M-maybe. I mean I don't hit myself with the wrenches anymore." he answered sheepishly.

"... I'll pick something up."

* * *

Apparently Yosuke missed out. Kondo had an announcement for us when practice was over. "The others already left? This is why this team is useless on the field. Whatever. I found you guys a team manager. Now you won't have to take turns doing all the work anymore. You can thank me later! Go on, introduce yourself."

"… Ai Ebihara." the blonde girl introduced herself.

"Great! You can take it from here. I'm going home." And with that, Kondo did in fact go home. For someone so into this sport, he sure is lazy.

Our new team manager didn't waste any time with pleasantries. "I'm gonna tell you guys straight up, I'm not lifting a finger for this team. I wouldn't be caught dead watching out for a bunch of sweaty guys."

"Huh? Then why'd you...?" Kou almost asked.

"I've missed too many days of school. But they'll let me move up if I manage a team. Since this is the only one now... Well... But don't expect me to put any effort into it. For the most part, I'm not even gonna be here."

Hmmm. Nope. Doesn't fly with me, sweetheart. "You really think so?" I asked her.

"Uh-huh. Seeya. Or not." she turned to leave.

I nodded to Dokuro and he got the message, blocking her path. I started pacing. "See, the way I see it, we have three options. One, we could be complete pansies and give in to your demands because you're attractive. Two, we could tell Kondo exactly what you just told us. But he's lazy. And probably wouldn't care."

"Well then tell this oaf to get out of my way!"

I stopped pacing, turned to face her and held both hands behind my back. "You don't really listen much, do you? I said we have three options." I held up three fingers to demonstrate. "Our third option is I tell the principal that you aren't living up to your end of your little bargain. We're on pretty good terms, ya see."

I allowed myself a sinister grin. It was a bluff. The principal probably wouldn't care about any of my concerns outside of kendo. And he _especially_ wouldn't care about anything related to the football team. But she doesn't know that.

"… You wouldn't."

My grin vanished. "I'm not a fan of people who break promises. So I most definitely would. Don't think me unreasonable though. All I'm saying is do the duties of team manager as you promised you would and we won't have a problem."

"… I'll make you regret this." she warned.

"Good luck with that." I nodded for Dokuro to move and he did. Ai took the opportunity to make a dramatic exit, stomping her way off the field.

I grinned widely. "Well that _was_ satisfying."

Most of the team wore a stunned expression. They quickly turned to big grins and high-fives. Kou was the first to say something to me. "Dude. That was _awesome_! I mean it was a little scary but... but you got us a team manager, man! And she's _hot_!"

"Oh, c'mon. Don't give me _all_ the credit. Dokuro deserves some for being so damn imposing."

Dokuro grunted and accepted a few high-fives of his own.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Strength Arcana._

Ahh, blackmail. Bringing people together since ancient times.

* * *

{04/27/11: Wednesday}

* * *

My alarm went off an hour earlier than usual. To say I have plans for today is an understatement.

Here it is. Big day. The day when nothing goes wrong. Nothing.

First things first. Breakfast!

* * *

Nanako rubbed her eyes as she came down the stairs. Meanwhile, I was cooking up a storm. "Good morning!" I exclaimed upon seeing her.

"Good morning! Umm... What are you doing?"

I shrugged. "Cooking breakfast? I mean I've never done it for you before, right? I wanna prove the amazing powers of bacon that makes it tasty no matter what!"

"But I'm okay doing all the-"

"I know you are. And I think that makes you amazing that you'd do that without asking for anything. But I'm not. Can't have people doing everything for me. Just doesn't sit right with me. So I'll make you a deal. Try this." I put a plate of the breakfast I was cooking in front of her.

She took a bite of it. "... It's good." she said, smiling at me.

I smiled back and filled my own plate. "So here it is. We split the housework between us. I do some. You do some. That way you get more time for things you like and I stop feeling bad. Deal?"

She stared at me for a while before offering another one of her adorable little smiles. "Deal!"

* * *

As soon as school finished I headed straight for the metalworks to see about scoring some new armaments. Scarred guy smirked when he saw me walk in. "Been wonderin' when I'd see ya again, kid. Gotta say I was gettin' a little concerned."

I opened the bag I was carrying. "I brought you some stuff. You _did_ say you wanted things you'd never seen before, right?"

He pulled out some of the teeth from the bag. "Ohhhhh I haven't seen these in _years_!" … What. "I knew askin' you would pay off. Soon as you said 'persona' I knew. I tell ya, this stuff really brings back memories. So how is ol' Phil nowadays?"

"I... uh... I don't know what you're talking about."

He raised an eyebrow. "No? Hmm. Tell ya what then. I'll prove you can trust me." He took a few more of the teeth from the bag and dropped all of them in a pile on an anvil.

… Is that a...

=He's holding a-!=

"HEPHAESTUS!"

The card shattered in his hand and in front of the anvil stood the Greek god of craftsmen. He was naked, save for the fabric tied around his waist, there presumably to cover his godly nether regions. In line with the myth, his feet were misshapen, leaving him unsteady where he stood. In one hand was a rather large black hammer.

='Godly nether regions'?=

-Not a description of them. He is a god. They are his nether regions. A statement of fact, nothing more.-

=Sure it was sure it was.=

Hephaestus lifted the hammer and brought it down on the pile of teeth on the anvil. There was a blinding flash that forced me to shield my eyes. When I looked back at the anvil the teeth were gone, replaced by a small object. I couldn't help but stare at the metalworks owner who was apparently _also_ a persona user.

"HA! I thought you'd be impressed, kid!" He picked up the item he just... made? And tossed it to me. "Call it a freebie. It'll keep you healthy."

"I... You just... You're a...!"

He sighed. "You wanna take a minute to breathe, kid? Get your brain working again?"

I took several deep breaths. Then several more. "... Okay. So... You're a persona user. And... You use it to make stuff?"

"Heh. Still runnin' a little slow, I guess. Well I can work with that. Yeah. I'm a 'persona user' but I don't call myself that. And Hephaestus' only real ability is to 'make stuff'. That is, craft items with special powers using shadow remains." He went back into the bag and pulled out some pieces of metal, getting to work on his next item. "So back to the question I asked a while ago. Philemon. How is he? Been a while since I talked to anyone in contact with him."

"I... I still don't know who that is."

He looked confused at that. "You... You don't? You sayin' you got your persona natural?"

"Natural? Well, at least I guess not. There's this guy called Igor who-"

"Igor?... Old guy? Bloodshot eyes? Huge nose?"

"That's the one."

"Hrrm. So he's running the show now. Wonder how that happened." He shrugged. "Oh, well. If it were for me and mine to know, we'd know, right?"

"So there are other persona users?"

"Plenty. Some with a strong will happen natural. Meditation an' that sort of stuff. Others are contacted by Philemon – or Igor now, I guess – to get something done. He gives 'em persona, they get stuff done, everyone's happy. So what's he got you guys on?"

"He only has contact with me. The others got the power on their own and are helping of their own free will. I guess you'd call _them_ naturals? Anyway, Igor is indirectly having me investigate the murders around town. Something to do with a world inside TVs that's filled with shadows. If someone is in that world when it gets foggy here, the shadows kill that person and their corpse comes back here. We're assuming someone has the ability to go into that world like me and my friends and is throwing people in...You wouldn't happen to have a TV here, would you?"

"Ahh, I get it. Since I'm... Yeah, okay. That's fair. Come on through." He left the iron where it was on the anvil and beckoned me to follow him into the back of the store.

The back of the store apparently being his home. A small TV, a bed and a dresser were the only furnishings. "Kind of spartan, isn't it?"

He shrugged. "My art is my life. Don't need much else."

"Fair enough." I stepped over to the TV and placed my hand on it, then pushed it through. Astonishment flashed across his face briefly. Then he nodded. I moved out of the way so he could try. He put his hand next to the screen and knocked on it three times. He smirked. "Satisfied, kid?"

"Completely. Sorry for doubting you."

"I'd've been the same. Don't worry about it. So there's gotta be a reason beyond giving me those materials that you're here, right?"

Oh right. I was so off-balance I completely forgot. "Weapons. Wrenches and golf clubs won't cut it anymore. We need something real."

"Hrmm. Weapons, huh? Well I got weapons. Question is can you use any of 'em."

"I'm not completely useless with a sword. And Yosuke would probably be fine with small knives. Chie uses her feet a lot but I think it's important that whatever she uses doesn't throw off her fighting style... What's your name by the way? Sorry for not asking until now. I'm Seta."

"Daidara. Nice to meet ya, kid. We'll see what I can make with what you brought me. I got a crappy sword you can use but as for your buddies, you're just gonna have to hope for somethin' good."

Five minutes later I had some kunai for Yosuke, a new sword and a case to carry it in. Don't want to get arrested, after all. At least, not again. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing, kid."

Dude, you know my name. "How did you know what that thing you made did?"

"It's, ahh, hard to explain. It's like you kinda look through it and see it's aura or... somethin'."

Funny. That sounds kind of like... Ugh. I completely forgot about that arcana reading thing. And... That's exactly what it was. Figures. "Thanks. I got it."

"Quick learner. Good. You'll need that. And here's the finders fee for the materials. More where it came from if you bring me more good stuff."

"... 500 yen?"

"Yeah. Rest of the money went towards your new weapons. Don't spend it all in one place!" he laughed.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Thanks. I'll try not to." I turned to leave.

"...Kid, wait." his sudden change in tone sent a chill down my spine. Up to now he'd been cheerful, even when I was all but accusing him of murder. All of a sudden he's deadly serious. I turned back around.

"There's somethin' I should tell you. An' you're not gonna like it. Things've changed recently. Bein' a persona user is even more dangerous than it used to be. And it used to be pretty damn dangerous, let me tell ya. This is more true for ones like you who get called upon. For your own sake, keep that to yourself. Lettin' that get out is like paintin' a target on your own back."

"Why? Are people after persona users or something?" I could probably understand why. It's an impressive power and probably pretty dangerous in the wrong hands.

"Not people. Demons. Couple years ago a human became the head of a lesser demon clan and he brought them to the top. Just about every faction in the demon world is lookin' for their own little pet human who can give them the same strength. And persona users are the closest humans to the demon world aside from demon summoners. But ya see, demon summoners know better than to get mixed up in politics."

"So... You're saying I'd be exactly what they're looking for then, being the next best thing." Ruling a demon clan doesn't sound so bad.

"Yeah. You are. Some might ask nice. Others... will _not_ be so friendly. They will do their damndest to take you and won't be afraid to rough you up a bit and do it by force. An' that ain't even a threat compared to that Shadow of the Universe that makes even the deadliest demons cry in fear."

My, my. This _is_ a fun and uplifting conversation. "So is there anything I can do about this then?"

Daidara scratched at his scar. "Not much. Keep it quiet. Be careful in dark alleys. That sort of stuff. Oh, and one more thing. Don't tell your friends any of this. If they're naturals like you say then the more they know, the more in danger they are. If you care about them at all, keep them in the dark."

"... Thanks for the advice."

"Wish I had better news for ya, kid. I really do." He pulled something out of a drawer behind the counter. "Take this. Only go to this address when shit really starts kickin' off. Any other time they'll either ignore you or take you down out of spite. These guys don't mess around."

He handed over what looked like a business card. The organisation name read "TAMASHI: GEWEHR BRANCH", the words written in kanji, romaji and katakana, respectively. Below was an address that was only a few miles away.

_CRACK!_

What?

_CRACK! CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK_**SMASH!**

_Thou hast unlocked the power of the Sword Arcana._

_

* * *

_A/N: AHHHHH! 108 REVIEWS! OHNOES! But seriously, thanks for the support. This story is also at 50,000 words which is a nice milestone too. Yay! Now, big chapter, right? Lots o' stuff goin' on. Social links, exposition, dire warnings, all kinds o' crap. Looking forward to reviews for this one.

Accompany ON: Reviews! (I am such a god damn nerd)

**Faroush**: Think it's fair to say now that Minato left his mark _everywhere. _Dude certainly got around. But no. Demons aren't scared of humans because of Minato. Demons see humans as being _absolutely frelling insane_ for not fearing death.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: So much for the breather, eh? Sun will be drama club but the band will make appearances, if only to laugh at whatshernameannoyingface. "NOOOO SENPAI" Ugh. ¬_¬

**Kisdota**: As mentioned in this chapter, Pixie doesn't have long left. Shame too. I only just got used to writing her properly. YA. HAHA. HAHAHAHA.

**Gryphon117**: Strength OCs will only be around as much as Daisuke and Kou were, probably.

Reviews done.

Now last thing, I want to apologise to one person to whom I owe credit for an idea. Mr. Thumbsup gave me the idea of the principal teaching Seta how to use a sword. Was his P4 Abridged fic that gave me it. Thus, he gets mad props, yo.

Here's to the next 100 reviews and the next 50,000 words! KANPAI!

Thanks for reading!

P.S: Almost forgot. I move to my new dorm tomorrow so I may or may not be out of commission for the next week or so. I'll still be working on chapters but I might be posting them late. Just a heads up.


	14. Yukiko Amagi II

Can't think about this now.

… What the hell was Daidara talking about?

We have a job to do. Can't think about this now.

… Why would demons be targeting me?

We have to save Yukiko. Can't _think_ about this _now._

… What was with that weird social link?

Ugh. This is infuriating! Thanks to that scarred son of a bitch I've got dozens of questions rattling around in my brain and even more things to worry about, not least of which being that all of us are in danger thanks to something I barely understand and that I can't even tell the others about without making things worse! And he tells me all of this AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME!

=Wanted to help, maybe? Safer if you know now, no?=

-Provided the stress he's causing me doesn't give me a heart attack or cause other deadly, stress-induced problems. I mean I won't know when they'll come for me so knowing just means I have one more thing to worry about.-

=Mmmmm... Ooh! I can help too, maybe! Find out stuff from other demons! Could help!=

-... You'd really do that for me?-

=I owe lots. Hmhm! Gave me a name! Will make me stronger! Least I can do is help keep you safe!=

-... Thank you. I really appreciate this, Tink.-

=Hmhm! Don't need to. Everybody wins, right?=

-Yeah.-

I continued my gathering of supplies and met up with the others as we'd agreed. Three bags. One filled with food, first aid supplies and those weird things Teddie found (hereafter referred to as mystical crap); one with my and Yosuke's weapons and one empty which will be filled with stuff for Daidara.

I should really start doing this stuff _before _the day we go in. Just cuts into our time on the other side.

As soon as I arrived at the food court the three of us headed straight in. I didn't want to waste any more time with small talk and still wasn't sure exactly how much I wanted to tell them yet.

* * *

"Yosuke, you and I are going in alone first."

He looked puzzled. "What? Why?"

"Two reasons. First, we need to get used to using our weapons against shadows. Second, I owe Tink a favour."

"Tink?"

"... Pixie."

"Oh. Well if you owe the forces of darkness a favour, who am I to say no?" He smirked at me. Smartass.

"Okay, so the point of this is for us to get better with our weapons. So avoid using your persona if you can." I explained as I unpacked our gear at the castle entrance. I handed Yosuke his new weapons.

He pulled them out of the sheaths and inspected them as if he knew what he was looking for. "Sweet! Let's get going."

I nodded. "We'll stick with the first floor since this is essentially just a warmup. Time limit is... twenty minutes? We kill as many shadows as we can. Teddie, you can hang back for this."

"You got it, sensei!"

"Alright." I switched to Pixie. "Let's go."

"Right behind ya, partner!"

Ten minutes later we were back out of the castle again. We'd already gotten some good practice in fighting shadows and Pixie was already twice as strong as she was initially and had two new moves. "We're almost ready. I've gotta go back to the entrance for a bit so you guys can wait here if you want. There's some food in that bag if you're hungry. We'll need to be at full strength when we head back in."

"Why're you goin' back to the entrance?" Chie asked, confused.

I sighed. "Velvet Room. I'm getting some new personae."

"Getting rid of Pixie then?" Yosuke asked.

"How'd you know?"

"Can't think of a better reason you'd be so bummed out about getting stronger personae."

… Bummed out, huh? Yeah... I guess I am. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may we assist you today?" Igor asked as I arrived in the now familiar environment of the velvet pimpmobile.

"It's time to get some fusing done." I replied.

"Very well. Shall I explain the process?"

"One persona combines with another to make a stronger one. Not that complicated." I shrugged.

=Acting like you don't care. Don't know why.=

-I'm not acting. It's not a big deal. Besides, you're in the compendium. I can bring you back any time.-

=... Won't say it this time. Just this once.=

-Much appreciated.-

I shook my head to clear the internal conversation from my mind. "Let's get started."

I lost Pixie, Ukobach, Slime and Sandman to get Orobas and Cu Sith. The connection to my mind went straight to Cu Sith, I assume because I used Pixie to fuse it. Its voice is more or less what you'd expect from a dog demon.

=BARK BARK BARK!=

Yeah. _That's_ not gonna get annoying. "Can we switch the connection to something else?" I asked.

"Certainly."

Options left are Angel or Orobas. I _am_ curious about Angel's choice of outfit but... Nah. "Orobas, please."

_SMASH!_

=Greetings to you, summoner.=

-Uhh, hi? Nice to meet you, I suppose.-

=Indeed.=

"Thanks again, Igor."

"Your thanks are unnecessary. Our role is to assist you on your journey."

I shook my head. "And as far as I'm aware, you get nothing out of it. So thanks again, Igor."

"Until next time, farewell."

* * *

I figured I should get to know Orobas since he'll be sticking around for a little while. -So Orobas...-

=Hmm.=

-I was wondering who you are, exactly. I can't say I've ever heard of you before.-

=I am a prince of Hell and have command of twenty legions of demons.=

-Hell?... You're telling me that I had a choice of listening to either an angel or a devil and I chose...-

=The devil. Indeed. An excellent choice if I may say so, summoner.=

-Not exactly one for humility, are you?-

=I am a prince. I command vast armies. I know a great many things past, present and future. Humility is for the inferior.=

… I almost wish I'd stuck with the dog.

"So we're ready to go then?" Yosuke asked as I got back to the castle.

"Yeah. Let's go. Chie, you're still the only one of us with ice skills so only use them when it's a weakness. Got it?"

"Hmhm! Yes sir!" Chie giggled.

… Yes, it was adorable. But focus. "We rush through to the fourth floor. Don't waste time or energy on the weak ones."

* * *

As we headed through the first floor the unexpected happened. Every shadow we found avoided us like the plague. Some of them even seemed to squeal in fear. "I guess we don't have to worry about getting attacked on this floor anymore."

"Guess not. Makes things a little easier, right? It'd be a pain if we had to fight our way through these guys again on Friday." Yosuke added.

"Oh, that reminds me. Teddie, did you find any more of those gems while we were gone?" I asked the bear.

"W-well I did find one... But I checked all over and couldn't find any more of 'em, sensei."

"Hm. That's a problem. Okay. We'll avoid using it if we can. Let's keep moving."

The second floor was entirely empty this time. No 'princess' Yukiko, no evil Chie, not even any of the little shadows. It was actually kind of disappointing somehow.

"Umm, Seta-kun?"

"What's up, Chie?"

"W-well... I get how we're just runnin' through since we're tougher than all these shadows but... What about... him?"

"Him? … Oh... Him." I glanced at my arm. It's something I've been trying to avoid thinking about. "There's not much we can do. We hope he's not there. If he's there, we avoid him. If we can't avoid him, we try not to antagonise him. If we accidentally antagonise him, we run. For now, those are our only options."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What's what supposed to mean?"

"'For now'?"

Ah... Whoops. "We'll... talk about other options when we might need them."

Chie did not appreciate my non-answer but grudgingly let it drop.

The shadows on the third floor were not scared of us like the ones on the first floor but were still not much of a challenge for us. We only fought the ones that got in our way as we looked for the stairs. We never came upon the flashback room from last time. Maybe it's a one-time thing? The fourth floor was pretty much the same. No sign of Black Shuck though. Expecting him to be in exactly the same place would be foolish but that didn't stop me from approaching every corner very very carefully.

* * *

"Ahh!" Teddie squeaked as we reached the fifth floor. "I can sense her! She must be on this floor!"

"Real or shadow?" I asked.

"Still can't tell. Sorry, sensei."

If it's her shadow it'll taunt us some more. If it's her we fight her shadow. So it's nothing or a big fight. "Don't worry about it. Let's just-"

_Wow! By any chance are you my princes? I'm locked up here! Please save me!_

I groaned to myself. "Question asked and answered." Though now that I think about it, the shadow would be there either way.

_I'm sure my princes can do it. I'm sure they'll brave any danger to release me from this place. I'll be waiting for you. Ohoho..._

"Something's strange, sensei. Be careful." Teddie warned me as the spooky voice that was obviously Yukiko's shadow faded.

Teddie wasn't wrong about something being off here. Certain spots on the floor instantly transported us somewhere else. As a trap it was entirely pointless and served as not much more than a minor annoyance. So I have to assume that was the point.

And that just made it _more_ annoying.

"I sense something behind this door! It's that girl's scent!" Teddie exclaimed as we neared the aforementioned door.

"Alright. We good to go? Everyone know the plan?" I asked the others.

Chie nodded. Yosuke used a skill then nodded. Healing himself, I guess.

"Good. Kick in the door on three?"

"THREE!"

"Dammit, Chie! Stop stealing our badass entrances!" I shouted.

"You guys are just too slow! I mean who really counts nowadays?" she shot back.

"**Hmhmhm! My prince wouldn't lose to guards like this, correct?**"

Shadow Yukiko was standing in front of a … rather large shadow. An armoured knight riding a horse that appeared to be floating. On second thought, 'rather large' doesn't quite describe it. Huge would be more accurate. And very intimidating. "That's... big." was all I managed.

"Gyaaaah! I've never seen such a strong one before! It's attacking!" Teddie squealed.

Need a battle plan. Now. "Teddie! Corner! Keep an eye for weaknesses! Yosuke, Chie! Surround it!"

The knight wasn't about to let that happen. It went straight for Chie with its lance, trying to pin her down. Literally. Her reflexes just barely saved her. Yosuke was getting to work improving our agility with Sukukaja so we could more easily keep up.

Chie knew better than to attack armour with just her feet, choosing instead to use her persona's physical skills. I joined the assault with Orobas' Agi skills.

"Physical attacks aren't doing much, sensei!" Teddie informed me.

"Chie, stick with using your ice attacks. Yosuke, wind skills. I'll stick with fire. Just-"

"Yosuke!" I heard Chie shriek. I hadn't noticed the knight going for him until it was too late. The lance looked as though it had passed straight through his leg.

"I'm fine!" he shouted back to allay our worries. "It's just a scra-uhh..." his voice trailed off.

Then he was on one knee.

Crap.

"Chie, keep it busy!" I ordered as I headed for Yosuke with the supply bag. The knight immediately turned his attention to me and struck out but with the Sukukaja still in effect dodging wasn't too difficult. Chie's constant barrage of ice attacks on the knight's undefended flank was enough to force him to leave me alone.

"Yosuke." I tapped both sides of his face to get his attention.

"Ngh uh? Oh... Hey, partner!" he slurred after recognising me.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"I... I 'unno. I just don't feel so... Hurgh!" He started to heave.

This is suddenly very very bad. It's pretty clear it's poison but don't you need specific antidotes for poisons? The only antidotes I have are those crappy remedies from the Shiroku store... Screw it.

"Take this and use Dia on yourself." I ordered. I don't care if science doesn't work that way. This damn well better work.

I switched to Izanagi, used a Rakukaja and started slinging Zio attacks at the knight. I need this thing to go down. Soon. "Chie, you still alive over there?" I yelled to the other side of the room.

"You guys owe me some healing." Chie's voice came back, sounding a bit unsteady. "Soon would be good."

"Give it everything you've got!"

Zio. Bufu. Zio. Bufu. Over and over again. The simple-minded shadow couldn't decide who to go for. Zio. Bufu. Zio... Garu?

"I owe you this you bastard!" Yosuke's voice came from behind me and to my side I saw Jiraiya slinging Garu attacks at the knight one after another.

It ended up being too much for the shadow. Before we knew it he was a puddle on the floor.

_Hmhmhm! If you really are my prince, we will surely meet again. I am but a trapped soul. I cannot leave this place even if I wished..._

Well... That was telling. More important things to deal with though.

"Yosuke, are you feeling alright?" I asked.

"Dude, I feel great! I don't know what you gave me but it was _awesome_! We should get _more_!"

I read the label for what I'd given him. 'Dr Tanaka's Super Mega Cure-All Medicine! Now with coconut extract!'

… "Sure. I'll... be sure to pick some up."

* * *

Sixth floor. No further sign of Shadow Yukiko. Just weak shadows and more weak shadows. Some of them do look kind of like the Pringles guy now though. Or the Monopoly guy.

Now that I think about it... those two mascots do look surprisingly similar. -Hey-

Orobas sighed audibly in my head. =No, I have never heard of a demon named 'Pringles Guy'. Nor 'Monopoly Guy'. Nor 'Ronald McDonald' or 'Burger King'.=

-Seriously? Not even Burger King? I could've sworn at least he'd be a demon.-

=Oh, I don't doubt he may be a demon. He is merely too far below my station to have caught my attention.=

-And yet he is a king while you are merely a prince.-

Orobas snorted. =Oh, aren't you clever.=

-Hey! Don't snort inside my head!-

=Try to stop me, human. I had no desire to be this involved in your futile existence anyway.=

-Oh? From what I understand, you volunteered for this, 'O Great Powerful One'.-

=I volunteered to see the human world without having to sign one of those demeaning summoner contracts and still be able to do what I need to do in the demon realm. Yet because you are strange among your kin you have my undivided attention. I do not appreciate that.=

-Well I _am_ sorry, Mr Grumpypants. I'll fix that when I get back.-

=Hmph. That you dare speak to me as such is just more proof of your inferiority.=

* * *

The seventh floor was just more of the same. How big is this place anyway? I wouldn't have thought there'd be room for seven floors of gigantic hallways.

"Uhh, guys?" Chie said, trying to get our attention. I turned to face her and...

… The hallway in that direction was no longer part of the castle. Looks like another timewarp flashback to the inn is upon us. Fun. There didn't seem to be any details missing in this one. A recent memory then? Since Yukiko looks around her current age I'd assume so.

"She what?" Yukiko shouted at the man she was speaking with.

The refined-looking man appeared unfazed by her outburst. "Please, Amagi-san, calm down. Your mother is fine. Recent events have merely left her exhausted and she is taking some time to recuperate. She wishes for you to run the inn in her absence."

"But that can't be! I don't... I'm not... I'm still in high school! She can't expect me to take over everything just like that! It's not fair! It's not!" Yukiko almost looked on the verge of tears.

"What do you mean, Amagi-san?"

"I... V-very well. Tell my mother I would be glad to run the inn in her absence and... that I am grateful for the opportunity."

"Very good, Amagi-san. Then if you will excuse me." And with that the man faded. However, Yukiko did not. Neither did the tears running down her cheeks.

* * *

Eighth floor. Teddie warned us that he sensed Yukiko's presence again. This would likely be the big finish. I was worried about whether we'd be strong enough to fight right now but waiting seemed to risky. I passed around all of the spiritual supplies we had to make sure we would be as battle capable as possible. Only one thing left to say.

"Teddie, leave the traesto here. Yosuke, if it turns out we can't win, your job is to grab Yukiko, run for the stairs and use the traesto to get you guys out of here."

He shrugged. "Sure. What about you though?"

"Out of all of us I'm the strongest. I'll be keeping it busy while you and Chie get the non-combatants out. Then I'll follow you the long way. But don't wait for me at the entrance. Just get yourselves gone, got it?"

"... Got it."

… I kicked the door in. It felt good.

"HEY!" Yosuke and Chie exclaimed in unison.

"It is the leader's right to make the most badass entrance." I grinned at the others. "Now... Let's do this."

* * *

A/N: … So... Four weeks, eh? … My bad. Sort of. My university and student loan provider share in the blame but still some of that is on me. So... our bad. Heh.

Short chapter. Fillerish chapter. But it moves us forward a bit.

Casey W used Crappy Review Introduction! It's not very effective.

**NightmareSyndrom**: Yeah. Think I sent a message to you about this. I stand by him not creating his own persona. I just found another use for the minor arcana. It'll come up next chapter. It is such a cool idea I hope I can do it justice.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: I'll probably alter Sun a little. Just don't expect me to toss out the whole script on it. Orobas, eh? Maybe he'll come up soo-OHWAITAMINUTE!

**Kenlon**: Pixie won't be gone forever. But... you might not like where her story goes.

**KJMan456**: You still haven't. I find this a bit funny. =P

Reviews done. Announcements go.

Sometime soon I'll be writing a side story about the demon world/the warp/whatever. I'll be sure to mention it in a chapter of FEShadow when it goes up for all those people who don't want to subscribe to me as an author. Pixie will be the star of this one. There will most likely be more to follow.

For those trying to find SamJaz' 'Fairly English Story' and having trouble, I'm told he's moving it from the Shin Megami Tensei section to the Persona Series section. You should be able to find it easy now/soon.

Well that's all. Hopefully I'll be back in a week this time. See ya then.

Thanks for reading. And also for being patient.


	15. Yukiko Amagi III

Y'know, I'm starting to think maybe we rushed into this.

… Great job, Seta. Have second thoughts _after_ you've kicked in the door. That's helpful.

The others followed me into the hall that... Holy crap. You run through hallways and rooms that all look the same, you get caught off guard when you find a place where someone put in some effort.

Not surprising this is the room where things are a bit more showy though.

It _is_ the throne room, after all.

"Yukiko!" Chie yelled.

They're both here. Yukiko and her shadow self. God, I hope we're ready for this.

"**Oh? Oooooh! What's this? Three princes are here to see me? My my! Are you the surprise guests who came in late? Awwww. I wish I'd gotten a better look at you.**" Shadow Yukiko approached from her place by the throne. "**My, it's getting crowded here. Why don't you and I go somewhere else? A land far, far away where no one knows me. If you're my prince you'd take me there, won't you?** **C'mon. Pretty please?**" Every word she spoke held a teasing tone in an attempt to be seductive.

Was working pretty well, I have to admit. Though the weird floaty hair, glowy yellow eyes and the Princess Peach outfit weren't doing her any favours.

… Unless Yosuke's into that sort of thing.

I bet he is.

"Oooh! Is this 'scoring a hot stud'?" Teddie squeaked in understanding.

Chie wasn't listening to him. "Three princes...?" Uhh, yeah? Me, Yosuke and Teddie. What's the problem? … Oh, actually I get it now. No way could Yosuke be a prince. You're right. "Does that include me too?"

Wait. This just got _way_ more interesting. And hot.

"Duh! The third one's gotta be me!" Teddie chided. Yup. Me, Chie and Teddie. Of course, I'm more than happy to step aside so Chie can get in some 'rescuing'. Or I could get Teddie out of the way and me and Chie could 'rescue' her together. Mmmn...

=Oh, for pity's sake! You are worse than those damned Incubus!=

-Lacy... unmentionables...-

=You are here for a fight, you insufferable imbecile! Act like it!=

-Spoilsport.-

"**Chie! Hmhmhm. Yes, she's my prince... She always leads the way... Chie is a strong prince... Or at least she **_**was**_**.**"

"Was?"

"**When it comes down to it, Chie is just not good enough! She can't take me away from here! She can't save me!**"

"Yukiko..." Chie mumbled, looking hurt.

"S-stop..."

Oh, crap. "Chie, Yosuke! Get your guard up! This is about to go south!"

"**Historic inn? Manager training? I'm sick of all these things chaining me down! I never asked to be born here! Everything's decided for me from how I live to where I die! I'm so sick of it! To hell with it all!**" The shadow's tone only grew angrier as it spoke.

"That's not true..." the real Yukiko responded weakly.

"**I just want to get somewhere far away. Anywhere but here...**" Anger gone, now mocking. "**Someone **_**please**_** take me away. **_**I**_** can't leave here on my **_**own**_**. **_**I'm**_** completely useless.**"

"Stop... Please stop."

"**I have no hope if I stay and no courage to leave so I sit on my ass hoping that someday my prince will come! I don't care where we go! Anywhere's fine. As long as it's not here I don't give a damn! Historical tradition? Pride of the town? What a bunch of bullshit!**"

"How dare you...?"

"**That's how I really feel. Isn't that right... me!**"

"No!"

"Don't say it!" Yosuke yelled out. Heh. Ever an optimist.

"No! You're not me!"

…

Ominous wind... Dark glow... "**Heeheehee!**" Evil cackle. Yep. This is the big one.

"**Aaah! This feels wonderful! It's building... more and more... If this keeps up, I'll... I'll...!**"

…Heheh...

=Oh, no you don't you perverted little swine! Focus!=

"**Hmhmhm! Ahahahahaha!**"

Right. Focusing now. "Yosuke!"

"On it!" he replied, moving to get the real Yukiko clear without me needing to say it.

In that brief moment of distraction, the shadow was gone. "**I am a shadow... The true self.**"

And replaced with an enormous, caged, red bird sitting atop a lit chandelier.

Subtle.

"**Now, my prince! Why don't we dance and make merry together? Hmhmhm!**" How does a giant bird manage to laugh like that anyway?

"Hang in there Yukiko! I'm right here for you!" Chie spoke.

"**Oh, really? Then I'll make sure to give you plenty to deal with!**"

* * *

That's a lot of fire... Chie. "Chie! Get your guard up!" I warned before using a Rakukaja to boost her protection further.

The timing couldn't have been better as the bird lunged for her with its teeth. "Yosuke, attack at will!"

We need to know what this thing is capable of. And also a plan.

=It likes fire. What else do you need to know?=

-You're helpful as always.-

He wasn't wrong though. The bird launched a fire attack on Chie, knocking her to the ground. I switched to Orobas and moved to cover her as she recovered.

"**Come, my prince! Heeheeheehee!**"

From nowhere spotlights illuminated the area to the shadow's left and a small... thing appeared there. It looked like the idiot son of the Pringles shadows we'd been fighting earlier.

"This fight's gonna be tough on you." I warned Chie.

"Ugh. No kidding." she replied.

"I can cover you on the fire attacks." I should've prepared more. "But while I'm doing that I can't do much else." I really screwed this up. "So." Now she's gonna pay for it. "I need you to give that thing everything you've got as quick as you can." Before you get taken out. "This is our best chance." Because I didn't give us a better one.

She smiled. "Got it." she nodded as she summoned Tomoe.

She trusts me.

She shouldn't.

… How long has that thing been launching fire at us?

=It started about halfway through your internal whining. It seems to be getting frustrated.=

Good. Anger makes people do stupid things. "OI, HIME-SAMA! THERE A PROBLEM?" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "MAYBE YOU'RE JUST NOT AS HOT AS YOU THOUGHT!"

… Is the chandelier moving...?

… Oh this is gonna suck. "CHIE, get down!" I fell as I shoved her out of the way and the chandelier dropped on me, pinning my leg.

And leaving Chie completely open to attack. _Shit_. I need to get this thing off of me. _Now._

=Physical skills. On the arms.=

Worth a shot. Of course, the only physical attack Orobas has is Hysterical Slap. Because he's a total wussy-face. Izanagi it is.

"Izanagi!" I shouted as I summoned a cleave attack to strike the arm I was pinned under.

… Nothing.

The bird is moving in for the kill. I need more time.

"IZANAGI!"

Again, nothing! Dammit, NO! I am _not_ letting this happen! I have to distract it!

I started summoning Zio attacks to strike the bird so as to get its attention. They were hurting it but nowhere near as much as Chie was. She was relentless.

She's following my orders.

And it's going to get her killed.

No.

I started pulling desperately on the chandelier to get it off of me.

I watched the fire erupt from the bird and fly in Chie's direction.

NO!

* * *

=Well... This is new.=

-I'm glad you approve.-

Chie was down. Alive, thanks to Yosuke. He healed her most serious wounds before things got dangerous.

I, on the other hand, was free.

And my right arm was different. The hand was clawed and holding a ridiculously large naginata, yet having no trouble with the weight of it.

I have no idea how this happened. I also don't care.

"Get Chie clear."

"S-Seta, what the he-"

"Not now. Do it." There was no room for argument in my tone. I didn't watch to make sure he did it. "As for you," I said, tilting my new weapon to indicate the bird. "Do you watch everything that happens in this castle of yours? Were you watching the second time we came here and encountered a certain wolf? Did you see it tear off my arm as punishment for my angering it? Compared to that thing, you are _nothing_. Put simply..."

"You don't scare me, shadow."

"**What, are you trying to make me mad?**"

Wait, didn't she summon something a while ago? What's that thing been doing?

"**That's not how it's supposed to work! You have to escort me!**"

Ohhhh. There it is. It's been healing the bird this whole time. No wonder this is taking so long. Better deal with that little problem then.

I casually walked over to the little 'prince'.

And decapitated it in one stroke.

I turned back to the bird. "... I don't have to do shit, 'princess'."

Yosuke walked back in. Good timing. "Yosuke, you're on healing duty now... Also, a Sukukaja, please."

"S-sure." he replied uncomfortably before summoning Jiraiya for the requested skill.

"**Hmph! Looks like I had the wrong idea! You're no princes! Die, you worthless commoners!**"

I didn't respond. Instead I dashed towards the shadow as it flung Agi attacks my way. Dodging was easy. This thing must be more tired than it was letting on. I jumped onto the chandelier. "That's one of your attacks rendered useless."

I started stabbing through the bars of the cage with my – or rather, Izanagi's – naginata. "Y'know, I get the reason behind the cage and all. Kudos on the symbolism, really! It's just... it doesn't leave you much room to _dodge_ when I'm up close like this, does it?"

It was true. I landed almost every blow as the bird frantically tried to dodge. It had no real options beyond that. An Agi skill could be dodged easily and if it tried to bite at me it risked a polearm in the face. With enough time, this would be enough to end it.

Hmmm, but it needs more humiliation. "Hey, remember when you pinned me down and almost killed my friend?" I asked the shadow in a sickly sweet tone.

I shoved the naginata through the bars of the cage at a downward angle, straight through the bird's chest and out the other side of the cage.

"**N-no!**"

"Payback's a bitch."

And it was over.

* * *

"-eta! Seta, wake up!"

=Good morning, sunshine.=

"Hrmnram... Orobas, one of these days I'm gonna wreck your face."

"Dude! Real world calling! Snap out of it!" Yosuke's voice.

… Arm. "YAH!" I pulled my hand up to my face. No claws. Back to normal.

"Relax. I guess whatever happened is over. I'd ask you what it was but... Based on your reaction on waking up I'm guessing you don't know either." Yosuke said in a cheery voice.

"No, no clue."

"Yeah, I figured. You were scary though. You might not have noticed but your arm wasn't the only thing that changed. Your eyes were solid yellow. I thought we'd finally met your shadow for a little while."

… Nah. I doubt that was it. Probably. "So what'd I miss?"

"Well..." Yosuke paused in thought. "For one thing, we're out of the castle."

… So we are. Honestly hadn't noticed. "Okay. Didn't realise but still, how about something more important. Like where's Yukiko? And is her shadow gone? And are she and Chie making out somewhe-OW!" I turned around to see an angry Chie with Yukiko leaning on her. "Okay, questions one and three answered."

"Heheh. Yeah. It's done. We were just waiting for you to wake up before we head back to the entrance. You up to walking on your own?"

I stood up and tried taking a few steps. "... Yeah. Should be fine."

"Great! Let's get back then. We can all rest easy tonight after all!"

* * *

"Yukiko, are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" Chie asked Yukiko.

We stopped at the food court before we went our separate ways. Partially to get our breath back, partially for me to get lots and lots of food. I don't think I've ever been so hungry before.

"No, I'm just a little tired." she replied.

Might be a bit early for questions but... might as well ask while the memory is semi-fresh. "Do you remember anything?"

"I'm sorry but... no. I don't."

"Well no worries. You're safe and that's more than enough." Chie comforted her with a cheerful tone.

"But there's no mistake that Yukiko-san was... um... attacked the same as the other two victims." Yosuke stated with hesitation.

"Let's just call it a day. We're all exhausted. We're not gonna get anywhere without some getting some rest first." I suggested.

"Yeah. I'll take Yukiko home." Chie smiled.

… Too tired for innuendo.

=Ever will I be thankful for small mercies.=

We all went our separate ways. I took the opportunity to make quick stops at Aiya and the steak skewer place.

Yes. That hungry.

* * *

"Welcome home!"

Ahh, Nanako. You're so awesome, greeting me when I come home every day.

I dropped myself onto the couch. "Hi Nanako-chan." I smiled at her.

"Umm... You have crumbs on your face."

"I do?" I wiped at my cheek and found she was right. "Sorry, I'll go wash up."

"Okay."

… I must be seeing things again. 'S' in the mirror. Next to the... Zero.

I sighed. Dammit, Igor.

"He's home!"

I heard Nanako's shout from the living room and went to investigate. Not surprisingly she's pretty jazzed about uncle coming home and... "Adachi-san?"

"Um... Hello." Nanako mumbled to the unfamiliar face.

"Hi there." Adachi replied, cheerful as the first time I met him. Guess that's just how he is.

"We got off work at the same time so I'm giving him a ride back to his place." Dojima explained. "I thought we might as well swing by."

"Nice to meet ya. I'm Adachi, the guy who's been your dad's slave since spring."

"I can still work you harder you know." uncle warned him.

"Haha! Good one sir! Ha... ha... Oh! I almost forgot! You're friends with Yukiko Amagi, right? They found her safe and sound! Tell all your friends at school!"

"That's fantastic! Chie must be so relieved!" Not lying. Both of those things are true.

"But this doesn't mean the case is closed though." Adachi went on. "We were just questioning Amagi-san but she says she doesn't remember anything that happened while she was missing and we can't figure out her whereabouts during the missing period, either. It's like she really disappeared. It's all pretty fishy if you ask me... Like there's something else going on..."

Well it looks like the young detective isn't a complete idiot. Good to know.

Except for blabbering about police business, that is.

Annnnd there's the punishment for it. Right in the face. Ouch.

"Stop blabbering, dumbass!" Huh. So I'm not the only one who says 'blabbering'. Go figure.

"S-sorry."

"Ignore him. He's just spouting some wild fantasy." uncle half-complained.

"Wild or not, he is right that it's strange that a teenager could disappear so perfectly for so long. I mean if she really were the killer you'd have to wonder why she suddenly came back. If she stayed gone... she might've never been found."

… Uh oh. I remember that look. Uncle is detectiving again. "... 'Suddenly came back', eh? You say that like she did so willingly."

… "Well of course. Adachi-san just said you have no idea where she was. That suggests you found her somewhere she'd normally be."

He stared hard at me for a few seconds until his expression suddenly softened. "Yeah, you're right."

"I'm hungry." Nanako whined. Strange for her. Maybe she sensed the tension and wanted to interrupt.

Or she's acting like a six year old for once. Heh.

"Hey, you're right. My stomach's growling too." uncle chuckled.

"Hahaha, so you do have a softer side around Nanako-chan, sir!" Adachi apparently likes getting punched in the face.

Uncle didn't punch him though. "Shut up and siddown... And wash those hands first!" uncle ordered.

Hooray! More food!

* * *

Ahhh. This has to have been the longest Wednesday of my entire life. School, dire warnings, fighting, more fighting, even more fighting, using hitherto unknown superpowers, dinner, more dinner, even more dinner, man. I lead a busy life.

-Sure you don't wanna stick around for a little while, Orobas?-

=While your constant idiocy is nigh intolerable, I must admit I am curious about these 'hitherto unknown superpowers' as you call them. I can't say I've seen anything like it before.=

-I'll take that as an 'Oh please please please let me stay, Seta! I'd be lost without you!'-

=You can take it however you like, provided you then shove it up hard.=

-Oh, my! How _delightfully_ vulgar! I do believe the prince of hell is learning.-

* * *

A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, begin the wild speculation! Moohahahaha!

So one more chapter before the end of the Yukiko arc. Been a wild ride. So what do people think if it overall? Good start? Horribly dull? Tell me tell me tell me!

I, Casey W command you: REVIEW!

**Kjman456**: You really should be waiting for Kanji. I gots stuff _planned_ for Kanji. But yeah yeah. We'll get to Rise when we get to her, fanboy.

**Faroush**: He's already annoying them. Unintentionally but still. Sun S-link is drama club. And I'm not talking about pairings. Except that there won't be spare pairing.

**Blazingreaper**: Izanagi is pretty much only still around because of limited fusing options (I actually planned out the fusing using one of those calculator programs). When better options show up... We'll see. He'll probably go though, so fair warning.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: I hope the fight scene didn't disappoint. I wonder if anyone got the 'P3FTW' reference last chapter. It was admittedly very very subtle.

**SamJaz**: Eheheh. Heh. Okay, my bad. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, REBUILD OF FAIRLY ENGLISH STORY IS NOW IN THE PERSONA SECTION. GO READ IT. APPARENTLY IT WILL KICK NINE KINDS OF ASS.

**Have a Little Feith**: Well I didn't answer last time because it's a question I'm not comfortable answering yet. We'll see.

Reviews done. I'm out. PEACE!

Thanks for reading!


	16. It's Always Something

{04/28/11: Thursday}

* * *

As soon as I found Yosuke in our classroom I gave him an earth-shattering high five. "It is a _good_ day."

"You're sure in a good mood." he replied, rubbing his now undoubtedly bruised hand.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be? The birds are swaying, the trees are singing, Yukiko is safe. For the first time in weeks I don't have a care in the world!"

=You're lying.=

-Am not.-

=If there is anyone in this world to whom you cannot lie, it would be the demons that reside within your psyche. So I suggest you stop trying.=

"You're lying."

"I already said I'm-" Wait... Yosuke said that. "What makes you think I'm lying?"

"Your eye is twitching. It does that when your 'inner demons' are bugging you."

-Ugh. You see what you did?- "Fine. I still have voices in my head. But other than that I couldn't be better!"

=You're lying.=

Must... keep... straight faced.

"What's really going on, Seta? Maybe I can help. I mean we're friends, right?"

That's why I can't tell you.

=Ohhh. I see it now. So this is what you are so concerned about. It is a valid concern. I apologise for antagonising you.=

-Hell just froze over. Now quiet. I need to think of a lie.- … "Well... I think my uncle is still suspicious of me. And I'm worried about that weird thing my arm did."

"What weird thing your arm did?" Chie walked up to us. I was so busy lying to my best friend I didn't notice. Mmm, delicious self-loathing.

"Oh, that's right. You were unconscious when it happened.", Yosuke recalled. "Well while you were being attacked, Goku here was busy going Super Saiyan. His hand turned black and kind of claw shaped, a naginata appeared out of thin air and his eyes turned yellow."

Chie's eyes opened wider upon the mention of my hand and wider still at my eye colour. I get why for the eye colour but why for the- "Which hand?"

It was my...

Oh _shit_.

"Both of you. Roof. Lunchtime. We need to have words." I stated in what is quickly becoming my leader tone.

My good mood lasted for all of three hours. A new record.

* * *

"Alright Chie. Spill. What did she really do to me?"

"What did who really do to you?" Yosuke asked, not having been told the details of why we were meeting here.

I gave him the cliff notes version. "Remember when Black Shuck attacked us inside Yukiko's dungeon? I lost an arm and someone healed it so I grew a new one. Now I'm thinking that's not all she did. The arm she healed was the same one that changed yesterday. So. Chie. Spill."

"Um... W-well... Y'see...I m-may have stretched the truth... a little." she eventually stammered.

"How much is 'a little'?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"... That's not your arm."

…

…

"WHAT?"

Chie raised her hands in defense. "I was gonna tell you but... but she told me not to! That you'd ask questions and shoe needed you to... not do that."

Not her fault. Not her fault. Not her fault. Not her fault... Okay. "What really happened." I asked flatly.

"I... I can describe it but I still don't understand it at all! One second she was empty handed, the next she was holding an arm! One second you were bleeding on the floor, the next you were perfectly fine! I mean we do crazy stuff too but this was on a whole other level!"

I raised my... my right hand to tell her to stop. "Okay, okay. Calm. Getting worked up about it won't help right now."

"I know but... I'm really sorry! I didn't wanna keep it secret! She was just-"

I cut her off. "I know. And I forgive you. But we need to focus, okay?"

Chie nodded solemnly. "Okay."

I offered an entirely fake smile. "Good. So she gave me a new arm. Did she do anything else?"

Chie shook her head. "No. Well... Nothing I could see anyway. She attached the arm, told me not to tell you... well... this. And then left."

"Anything strange about the arm beforehand?"

=Ha!=

-So very not the time, Orobas.-

"It was pale. Other than that... no. Pale, fleshy and gross."

"Just like the rest of you, then!" Yosuke joked.

"Hey! I'm not pale!" … Wait. "... Shut up, Yosuke."

"Hahahaha!" Yosuke was still busy laughing.

"I said..." I sighed. "Nevermind. Okay. So she gave me a perfectly normal arm at least by appearance. So either she willingly gave me secret superpowers or she was just saving my ass and didn't know this would happen. I'm leaning towards the latter, to be honest."

"What makes you think that?"

"She was interfering when she clearly wasn't supposed to. I'm thinking giving me something that made sure I'd beat Yukiko's shadow would be crossing a line she didn't want to cross. Else why would she say she wouldn't help me again?"

"Any way we can know for sure?" Yosuke asked.

"Without asking her ourselves... Not really." And if I _do_ ask Margaret, I'd probably be causing her some problems. "If you guys cover for me in class this afternoon I can try to find out what I actually _did_ at least. Now, on to a happier topic?" Nods all around.

=Nod. Nod. Nod.=

-Are you... Are you trying to nod inside my head?-

=Don't ask such foolish questions! … Maybe.=

I sighed. "Orobas would also like to express his agreement with my suggestion."

I summoned Orobas who immediately began to nod slowly. The undeniably bizarre image caused Yosuke and Chie to begin laughing anew. -Feel better?-

=I am not your performing monkey! … And yes.=

We moved on to talking about how Yukiko was doing since we'd brought her back. Chie explained what the doctors had been saying. They couldn't explain what was wrong specifically but said she'll be fine as long as she gets some much needed rest.

Happier topic indeed.

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"I have new superpowers. Explain them." I demanded, deadpan.

"No interest in pleasantries today, hm? A shame." Igor half-reprimanded.

"I'd agree but this is the second time something completely insane has happened that you could have told me about before."

"We _did_ inform you that the strong connection to your personae was unexpected. We can hardly be held accountable for that. In truth, your current situation is also completely unknown to us. We can only guess at its source. You established a new social link recently, did you not?"

"Several." I answered. "Fool, Magician, Chariot, Strength and Sun. Why?"

"Hmhmhm. You missed one." Igor teased. "The Sword arcana?"

… Daidara. I completely forgot about that.

"It is not surprising you had forgotten. You were not entirely _yourself_ at the time." … "If only there were more we could do to... how do you say... lend a _hand_?"

… I think he knows.

=Maybe he suspected. But thanks to you glancing at Margaret just now, yes. He knows.=

Oh, _son of a bitch._

"If we learn anything that will help you to understand your new-found ability, we will let you know upon your return. If there is nothing else, farewell."

"Bu-"

I tried to protest but I was already back in the real world. I guess Igor wanted to have a private conversation with Margaret.

I'd feel guilty but... Damn, that guy is _good_.

Sword arcana... Another question answered I suppose. Though only partially.

* * *

Well this is a new one. Sneaking into school. It's like the whole world is turning upside down.

Unfortunately all my social li- friends. _Friends_... They're all here. To the drama club I go!

"Hey Seta-kun!" Nagai greeted me. "You're a little late. We just decided on doing some real performing instead of just going over fundamentals again. Alright everyone! Remember the line I'm about to say. We'll decide on roles after the audition and finish with a five-minute skit. Got it? Now pay attention."

Nagai recited the line. It was corny.

"Alright, we'll start with Seta." Eh? "Come on up here in front of everybody. Show some emotion!"

Emotion. Nuh-uh. You want me to ham things up with a big speech, I'm your man. Emotion? I suck at emotion.

And suck at emotion I did. At least I got the line right.

"Okay, next person! Maaya, you wanna try? We already know you're going to be my main character!" I'm starting to see why this Maaya girl is so weirded out. Nagai is kind of clingy.

Yumi had other plans though. "I'll try. I think I got it." She acted out the lines Nagai had given her and to put it simply, girl can act. I think she might have even gotten herself to cry a little at the end.

"That was amazing."

"She's always so good, it's scary."

"If anyone thinks they can do a better job than me, please come on up." Aaaand there's the problem that comes along with being good.

"Yumi, don't say it like that." one of the other girls complained.

"If only standing around flirting made you a better actor, huh?" Okay. I need to look up what Sun represents again. I don't know this stuff well yet but I'm pretty sure there isn't an arcana that represents bitchiness.

"H-hey, come on! We all remember the line so we might as well do it, right? I think watching others act is a good experience too. Don't you, Yumi?"

"You're right. Go ahead." Yumi acquiesced, deigning to step down from her pedestal.

I hate to admit it but her cockiness is kind of justified. The other performances were nowhere near as good as hers.

"Okay, we've unanimously decided that Yumi will be the protagonist and she'll be opposite Seta!"

Eh? "But I suck."

"Well, it's really either you or me and I'd really rather direct." Nagai responded with a shrug. How did I not notice there were only two guys in this club before?

Puts a nice twist on the idea this is the club for horny students. I mean where does that leave all the other girls?

...

Yumi snapped me out of my oh so pleasant daydream. "Do you have your lines memorized? Are you ready to go?"

"More or less." I answered.

"Don't be so tense. This is just practice." She paused. "But I do want us to take it seriously so give it your best shot, okay?" There was a sharp edge to her voice. 'Make me look bad and I'll cut you' is what it said.

"Sure."

"I'll lead you through it."

I forget how many times we went over that skit. Many, many times is my best guess.

"Acting is fun isn't it? When you're acting, it's like you get to take on the life of another person. Not just yourself. Not some Yumi Ozawa but another life to live... I don't need lights or costumes. All I need is a role to play." Her voice suddenly lost all traces of the excitement she was showing. "All I need... is to not be me."

_Yeaheah! YEAHEAH! Oh man, she's got issues and I'm gonna pay!_

=What In the hells was that?=

-Music. The Offspring, specifically. The song seemed appropriate.-

"Oh, sorry! If I keep talking, you'll end up forgetting your own lines, huh? Let's give it a whirl, 'darling'!" Yumi winked at me.

-Really appropriate.-

"Eheh. Great." I don't see this ending well.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Sun Arcana._

"Alright! Want to ad-lib a kiss?"

"Eheheh." This really won't end well.

* * *

{04/29/11: Friday}

* * *

This sucks.

School is finished. In four hours I have to go home to cook dinner for Nanako since it's my turn. But what do I do until then? No one wants to hang out because of the rain. I could go to drama club again but... I really don't want to go to drama club again.

=It might be wise to check on the situation with your... patrons? Would that be the appropriate term?=

-Good a term as any. Nice idea. Best to find out how that whole situation ended before it becomes important. Velvet Room it is.-

* * *

Well... This was unexpected.

"Oh." Margaret was sitting alone in her usual place in the Velvet Room. Igor was mysteriously absent. "Excuse me. Do you have any business here?"

"Well I came to see if I could get some fusing done and find out what the outcome of yesterday was. But this takes precedence. Where's Igor?"

"Mmm. As you can see, my master is currently away. If your errand isn't urgent, I regret to ask that you come back lat-... No. That won't do." she corrected, shaking her head. "This room is bound tightly to your fate. Nothing here happens without a reason. There must be meaning in our meeting here alone."

-... I'm not imagining this, right? This is the third time since I got this power that a woman has come on to me. That can't be coincidence. I mean this never happened before!-

=_She thinks she's the victim yeahhhhhhhh=_

-... You're kidding, right?-

=What? It's catchy.=

-FOCUS!- Heh. Really satisfying to say that to _him_ for once.

=Oh, cease your whining. She is not one of those foolish pubescent girls who for some reason find you attractive. Have you failed to notice she might not even qualify as human?=

-That's... actually a very good point. Thank you.-

Margaret closed the compendium sitting on her lap and turned fully to face me. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. I am Margaret. I am the one who rules over power, invited here after my predecessor's... sudden disappearance. You may be the first person who has ever been welcomed here by someone other than my master."

That's not true. "What about Philemon?"

Margaret showed no visible reaction to the name. "You are better informed than I expected. Other than the _current_ master, then. Would that be a more accurate statement?"

Somehow I get the feeling I annoyed her. Whoops. "I don't know. I meant to ask Igor about him but it slipped my mind."

Margaret chose to ignore my unasked question. "The Velvet Room is inseparable from the heart of its invited guest. The shape of the room and its residents are selected by my master based on the number of guests and their destiny."

"That explains how Igor already knew about everything that was happening before I asked him about it. So the Velvet Room isn't always a limo, then?"

"For our previous guest, it was a bar. And before that, an elevator."

"Almost makes me wonder _why_ it's a limo. Almost."

"It seems you have several social links already." Margaret observed, changing the subject abruptly. "Recurring meetings, recurring words... By deepening your understanding of one another, your bonds strengthen. But sometimes the heart is shaken more by a single action than a thousand words. Do you understand?"

"You're saying actions speak louder than words. It's a popular saying."

"Hmhm." Margaret chuckled to herself. I think that's the first time I've seen her do that. Thankfully it's nowhere near as creepy as when Igor does it. "Today's meeting may be classified as one such action." She paused for a moment, studying her knees. Then her head snapped up to look at me again. "I've decided. The strand of fate you follow... Entangle me within it as well. Perhaps a new bond will be spun."

**SMASH!**

Oh, look. She was right.

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Empress Arcana._

"There is something I have wanted to know and you are the first guest I've welcomed here. In light of today's meeting with my master absent... Hm. I believe we are both special to one another."

She's smiling at me.

She just said... _that..._ and she's smiling at me.

=_Yeaheah! YEAHEAH!_=

-Oh, shut up you stupid horse.-

"I want to know more about you." Margaret continued. "First, I think I'll have you show me your rare persona ability. Let me see... Show me an Ippon-Datara that knows Sukukaja."

Well... Assuming that isn't the most bizarre euphemism in history, this is not the direction in which I expected this conversation to go.

Margaret raised an eyebrow at my confused expression. "The heart is shaken more by a single action than by a thousand words... Or have you already forgotten?"

… Screw it. I'm still single, right? I shook my head no.

"Hmhm. Then I have something to look forward to."

"Err, yeah. Great, I guess. So... How do things stand with Igor, then?"

Her previous almost friendly expression instantly became her usual all-business stare. "He has determined that the creature you escaped from had nothing to do with your destiny or that of your world. Thus, my interference was not a violation. However, my previous warning remains true. I will not assist you a second time."

"And my arm?"

"It belonged to a previous guest. The ability you displayed was something he did not possess, however. My master was not deceiving you when he told you it was unheard of. He will inform you if he learns anything of importance."

I sighed. "I can't even be crazy weird in a normal way, can I? Fair enough. Thanks for telling me."

She nodded. "I wish you well."

* * *

I spent the afternoon wandering around Junes since I still had nothing to do. Stupid weird time Velvet Room weirdness Should've been at least half an hour but noooo. It has to be _efficient_.

Uncle actually showed up for dinner again though. Made Nanako happy.

And when Nanako is happy, all is right with the world.

_\_Due to the weekend rainfall, clear skies seem unlikely in the area. A thick fog is expected to set in tonight and remain until tomorrow morning, with heaviest concentration in the Inaba area. Anyone planning to go out tonight should take care. Now for our hourly weather breakdown..._\_

"More fog, huh?" Uncle asked no one from the couch. "There's been a lot of that lately. Hopefully it's not a sign of more trouble."

Nanako changed the channel.

"Ah-ah-ah. What did I say about changing the channel without asking?"

_\_Have a great day even during Golden Week at your local Junes! Come see for yourself and get in touch with our products!_\_

_\__Every day's great at your Ju-nes!__\_

"_Every day's great at your Ju-nes!_"

I forgive her. Squee!

… Shut it. I did not just squee. You shut up right now.

"Dad! They're going to be open during Golden Week!" Nanako exclaimed.

"Haha! I heard! Do you wanna go somewhere during the long holiday?"

The shock on her face was hard to miss. "We can go somewhere?"

"How about it?" Uncle asked, looking at me. "Got any plans yet?"

"Nope. No plans." I responded. Supernatural psycho killer allowing, of course.

=_Psycho killer! Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa fa fa fa fa-_=

-SHUT UP!-

=You have given me a method with which I can irritate you. You expect me to desist? Consider it retribution, summoner.=

I'm in hell.

"Let's all go somewhere together!" Nanako squeaked in excitement. "Junes! Junes Junes Junes!"

"You're sure you wanna go to Junes? We can go there any time..." Uncle just shrugged. "Come on. It's time for bed. It's late."

"Alright..." Nanako reluctantly agreed before dancing her way upstairs singing the Junes jingle.

=_Every day's grea_-=

-No no NO. Don't you _dare_ ruin that for me.-

* * *

11:59. One minute left before this ordeal is one-hundred percent officially over. I pulled the two thirds empty bottle from its place in the fridge.

I heard the familiar hiss of static as the midnight channel came on.

Blank.

There image on the screen was blank. We really did it.

I sighed in relief. I don't know why I expected to see something. Maybe I'm just conditioned to expect the worst. But it's really over.

"Kanpai."

The empty room didn't respond as I finished the bottle and sat on the couch.

I'm still in mortal danger.

I don't care.

There's still a dangerous psychopath on the loose.

I don't care.

I'm suddenly part of a world that I don't understand in the slightest.

I don't care.

I helped save someone's life when no one else could. Right now, that's all that matters.

* * *

A/N: Can you believe it? I can't frelling believe it. I FINISHED A CHAPTER! HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW, BITCHES!

Okay. Now on, we're going for weekly, minimum bi-weekly chapters. And beta owes me a punch in the McNuggets for falling so far behind *whimper*

Funny thing. I'd normally do review responses here. Thing is I can't really make any without making them super spoily. So sorry guys but there won't be any this time. But a big thankee for the support.

Also, NYAHAHAHAHAHA! I faked you fools out on that whole arm thing, didn't I? Didn't I? HAHAHA! Sorry. I shouldn't gloat.

And NightmareSyndrom gave birth to the idea of Minato's arm being the one Seta got. Though it had to be tweaked a bit. For those wondering, Minato lost lots of arms over the course of FEStory. Anyway, NightmareSyndrom gets mad props, yo.

Thanks for reading.


	17. Seta Souji I

**A/N: Early warning. Lots of naughty language in this chapter. Also some very subtle but seriously awful themes too. M rated for a reason folks. You have been warned.**

**Then again, character had an arm ripped off in an earlier chapter. You have some messed up principles if you didn't have a problem with that but instead have one with a few F-bombs. And S-grenades. And B-...mines? Is there a standard explosive linked with B words?**

**I digress. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

__\_Just so you know... I never believed you._

_Just so you know... I want you to stay... STAY!_\__

… This is the most messed up thing I've ever seen. And I've seen some shit, no mistake.

I'm standing in what looks vaguely like the velvet room. Everything is blue from furniture to lighting. Except this isn't the inside of a limo. It's a club. A fairly sizeable one too. Also it doesn't have the feeling of luxury that the velvet room does.

Though that may be due to my current personae taking the place of the band.

Orobas is the frontman. Of course he is.

_\__Thank you, thank you!_\__ Orobas responds to the empty room that somehow still seems to be applauding. __\_We're InYou and we're here to see whether you guys can FUCKING ROCK!_\__

I swear I'll make you pay for putting me through this Orobas. I know this dream was your doing.

"**Actually, it was mine.**"

… I really hope that isn't what I think it is.

"**Not going to look at me then?**" Really really really really don't want to, thanks very much. "**Well that's fine. You already know who I am, after all. But we really should chat.**"

"We gonna social link? That's pretty meta."

"**No. Nothing like that. I just want to make sure I stick around for a while. I know the reason you keep going to the velvet room is to get rid of me.**"

… Me? "Does that mean... So you would be Izanagi, then? Of course you would. Igor said he was my real persona and a real persona is a shadow, right?"

I heard a frustrated sigh.

I facepalmed. I just asked myself a question. Stupid.

"**I have to tell you, not happy about that either. One day I just get forced into being your spiritual bitch and I'm just supposed to **_**accept**_** it? Fuck you! I don't take shit from **_**anyone**_**! Least of all a snotty shit who refuses to just take what he really wants.** **Hell, I bet she'd even be into-**"

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!"

As I whirled on him I got my first real look at... myself. Dressed to perfection in a black suit with a wine-coloured shirt and black tie. Hair parted at the centre. The telltale yellow eyes to prove what he really was.

And a sickening smile plastered on his face.

Stop talking. Don't say another word no matter what.

"**You're right.**" he apologised with a hint of mockery. I can't believe he almost got me. If I hadn't stopped myself... "**I really was getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I should get to my offer and be done with it? What I want is simple: I stick around in your head. You can carry eight persona at once now, yes? What's one less spot? Besides, I'm your **_**real**_** persona. The real one never stops getting stronger like the others you have. Think about how powerful I'll get! You'll never have to fear that stupid mutt or those damned shadows ever again!**" He paused for a second. "**Present company excluded, naturally." **he finished with a smirk.

"And what do you get out of this little 'offer'?"

"**Who said I wanted anything? I'm you! If you succeed, I succeed! Then maybe at some point you'll act less like a little bitch. That'd be nice.**"

"You're lying. You have to be."

"**Hmph. Have any of the other shadows lied? It's not something we do.**"

"So I keep you around and you'll get stronger with no stri-" Wait. "You get stronger."

"**Hm? Yes. And then you can use me to fight.**"

"You, my shadow, get stronger."

"**What, that's what you're worrying about? You shouldn't. It's not like I'm gonna attack as soon as I feel like I'm strong eno-**"

"No deal."

"**...What.**"

"I don't remember being hard of hearing so I know you heard me fine. No. Deal. I'll get strong enough without having to deal with you."

"**Getting rid of Izanagi won't end this. I'll still be here.**"

"I know. And when you inevitably show up to fuck with me, I know my friends will help me deal with you. Just like they did with all the other shadows."

He started chuckling to himself. "**Tell them I wish them luck. We'll see each other again. And we'll see how much your friends want to help you when they see what you're really like.**"

"Yeah. We will."

* * *

{04/30/11: Saturday}

* * *

-So were you there for that?-

=Yes. Your shadow is... unpleasant, is he not?=

-More so than I thought. I really don't want to think about it anymore.-

=I can imagine.=

-So... what was up with those song choices?-

=Shrug. Seemed appropriate. See because the band is called-=

-I got it.-

=Yeah, so we changed it to-=

-Uh huh. Was clever.-

=I thought so.=

* * *

I was surprised when I got to school to see Yukiko outside the gates. Her face brightened as soon as she saw me.

Was she waiting for me?

"O-oh... Good morning."

"You feeling better?" I asked her.

"Y-yeah. I'll be coming to school again so... That'll be nice." She paused as if trying to put what she's thinking to words. "I... I caused everyone some real trouble. I'm sorry." Another pause. "No. 'Sorry' isn't quite right. What I mean to say is thank you."

"I, err, you're welcome?"

She visibly calmed. "My mother is back to work already. The maids are being really supportive and I think things are going even smoother than before. I wonder if I was trying too hard. I may have been caught up in the idea that I had to do everything myself. Ever since... the incident... I feel like I can think about things more calmly."

Huh. I guess that's what happens when you accept your flaws.

I wonder if I should've...

Yukiko suddenly blushed and turned away. "B-but it's still kind of embarrassing. Y-you guys saw everything. Even the things I didn't want to admit."

… No. I don't think I could've accepted that. And I'm done thinking about it.

"Everyone is like that." I finally said.

"You think so?"

"Yukiko!" Chie called from down the street.

"Oh, it's Chie. Well, I'll talk to you later." Yukiko said as she walked off.

I sighed. That was supposed to be a good moment. Stupid other me ruining it.

* * *

Me, Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko agreed to meet after school on the roof to see if we could figure out anything new. Yosuke and I were still waiting on the girls so he was giving me a mini therapy session after my encounter.

"So you finally met... you."

"It was not a pleasant experience. I have newfound respect for you guys for accepting that part of you. It might be because he's supposed to be part of me but... Mine just seems so much worse than yours."

"What, the me that hates everything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're teenagers. We're _supposed_ to hate things." I pointed out.

"Well maybe. But I still think your mind is exaggerating it. What exactly did it say?"

"That I should... I don't wanna talk about it."

"... Okay. But just remember at some point he's gonna do it for you. Might be easier to do it yourself so you're in contr-"

"I_ said_ I _don't_ want to talk about it. _Drop it._"

=You want to apologise. _Now_.=

-No I... Shit.- I saw Yosuke's face and realised my mistake. "I'm sorry. I'm just... It's not easy, y'know? And this is some messed up stuff we're talking about. It's not like I can have all my worst horrible characteristics shoved in my face and then be able to admit to them... Though thinking about it, that's exactly what you guys did, isn't it. Maybe I'm just not as strong as you are."

His expression brightened a little. "You wanna know what really happened that first time? My shadow shouted all the bad things about me from the rooftops and I couldn't accept any of it. Then it attacked us and you know what you did? You stopped it. You and Teddie could've run away at any time and you'd've been safe but you didn't. You heard every word my shadow said and you still protected me from it. You accepted my shadow before I did. In the end, that's how I managed to accept it too."

I stayed silent. I don't know what to say to that.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Magician Arcana._

"When you wanna talk about it, I'll listen."

"... Thanks."

Chie opened to roof door at that moment. "Hey, guys! Yukiko'll be right up. She's just... Seta, are you okay?"

Huh? "Yeah, why?"

She wiped at her face. I mimicked the action and... _Oh_. "Err, yeah. Heheh. It was just, umm... raining a minute ago. Yeah. It's stopped now. Right, Yosuke?"

"Y-yeah. Totally what happened." he agreed, wiping his own face.

That is the absolute _weakest_ excuse I've ever come up with. There's not a cloud in the sky!

"O... kay." Good enough. Just don't question it please.

Yukiko followed not long after with food. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The soba is yours, right Chie?"

"Thanks! Oooooh, that smells goooood... How much longer do I have to wait on this?"

"It still needs a few minutes." Yukiko answered before sitting down with her own bowl.

"So... why're we here?... Oh, yeah. I remember. We were going to ask Yukiko what happened, right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much the long and short of it." Not much else to go on.

"Yukiko-san, I hate to bring up stuff you'd rather not think about but... I need to ask you again. Did you recall anything about when you got kidnapped?" Yosuke asked her as gently as possible.

"No... I thought I'd remember something if I let it sit for a while but as time passes it only gets hazier... I think the doorbell rang at the entrance... and someone called for me..." She shook her head. "But when I woke up after that, I was already in the castle. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologise." Chie comforted. "But does this mean her visitor was the culprit?"

"I don't know. If it's true then that's one daring criminal. What kind of killer rings the doorbell?" Yosuke observed. "The police are looking for witnesses but I don't think we'll get much from them. Heh, as if the culprit wore bright yellow clothes at the scene of the crime."

"I wonder why whoever it is would do stuff like this."

"We won't know until we confront 'em ourselves. Oh, yeah. We never told you, did we?" Yosuke asked Yukiko rhetorically. "Seta and me are gonna catch the culprit ourselves!"

"Please stop saying culprit." I begged. "Killer. Perpetrator. Asshole. All perfectly serviceable synonyms."

Yosuke just rolled his eyes. "The police are out of their league on this case but we've got our personas."

I sighed. "Again, it's 'personae'." I turned towards Yukiko. "Feel like lending us a hand? You have a persona too now, after all."

"Huh? Um..."

Chie spoke up. Or shouted, rather, and punched the sky. "I'm helping out too! I can't believe someone would throw people in like that. I'm gonna sock whoever's doing this!"

"I should tell you this now so you can make an informed decision. This isn't like we're just playing detective or anything. We're talking real danger." I shot Chie and Yosuke a questioning look. Yosuke nodded, as did Chie, if more hesitantly.

I took off my jacket and unbuttoned my shirt sleeve, rolling it up to the shoulder. "Do you see the point on my shoulder where it changes colour ever so slightly?" I asked. I actually checked this before going to bed a few times.

Per night.

Yukiko stared at it for a second and nodded. "Do you wear a lot of vests or something?"

I chuckled a little and shook my head. "There's something that lives in that world. It's powerful, dangerous and very much a carnivore. I accidentally pissed it off and it took my arm as compensation. This one is a replacement provided by a... concerned acquaintance."

"Better you know now how serious this can get." Yosuke added.

Yukiko's eyes flew open. "You... You lost your... Oh _god_!"

"None of us are playing around. We all know the risks of what we're doing. If you still want to help us, that's fantastic and we're glad to have you along. If not, not one of us will blame you."

She looked uncertain. "... No... I... I want to help." She forced herself to calm down. "Let me help you. I want to know why this is happening. Especially if someone hates me so much they want to kill me. I don't want to run away from myself anymore."

Yosuke hopped down from his perch on the wall. "Alright! Then let's all work together to catch this asshole!"

"Agreed." Yukiko nodded.

"Somehow, I knew of all those options I gave, you'd pick that one Yosuke."

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Fool Arcana._

Chie spoke up as soon as spooky voices had done their thing. "Oh, but how're we gonna find them? We don't have a single lead yet!"

"I'm the third one to be targeted so far but I have a feeling this isn't the end of it. If we had an idea of who might be targeted next, wouldn't we have an advantage over the killer?" Huh. I figured Yukiko would've used 'perpetrator'.

"So we'll outsmart them, huh? Yeah. That might work." Yosuke agreed. "They're all women. That's one thing they have in common."

"How dare he target females! That is unforgivable! This culprit's gotta be some kinda pervert!" Chie screeched.

"And how about this?" Yosuke continued. "The second and third victims had some sort of connection to the first one."

"Hey, that's right!" Chie agreed. "Saki-senpai found Yamano-shi's body and Yamano-shi was staying at Yukiko's inn!"

"That'd suggest it's something to do with the inn then." I concluded. They looked at me weird. Right. Train of thought. "Yamano-shi was killed first while she was staying at the inn. Saki-senpai was killed after she found the body, suggesting it was to cover the killer's tracks after the first murder. Yukiko was taken while she was working at the inn. So that means Saki-senpai's death was not for any reason other than the killer needing her gone. So the only connection left is the inn." Wow. I'm totally going to forget all that if I don't write it down.

"So you're saying the culprit is connected to the inn somehow?" Yosuke asked me. Yukiko did not seem pleased with the idea.

"Maybe. I'd say it's only 5% more likely than someone without a connection to it. It's flimsy at best and it doesn't narrow down the suspect pool much. I bet most people in town have some dealings with the inn from time to time."

"There's another angle we can take... If another person disappears..." Yosuke trailed off.

"You think they'd appear on that midnight channel? That happened right before Yukiko was kidnapped too." Chie said, finishing Yosuke's thought for him.

"Yeah. It's hard to who it is at first but what's important is it happens before the victim disappears... Kinda like a ransom note."

"Uhh... No. That's not how ransom notes work, Yosuke. More like a death threat."

"Fine, fine. But my point is we can rely on it for now, even though we don't know why it happens."

Looks like we're waiting for rain again.

"By the way, aren't those done by now?" Yosuke asked the girls.

"Whoa, that's right! Chow time!" Chie grinned, opening her meal.

That... That smells really good. Oh, man. Now I'm hungry.

"Hey, could I try just a little bit of that? Just one tiny bite!" Yosuke begged.

"Hands off the soba, pal! Go get your own if you want some." Yosuke's response was to look pathetic. It worked. "Rrrrgh. Okay. But just one bite, got it?"

He nodded eagerly and grabbed at the bowl.

"Do you want to try some?" Yukiko asked me, offering me her own bowl. I gratefully accepted.

Damn. This stuff is good! Sometimes you just need to appreciate the simple things, y'know?

"It's soooo goooood! The aroma, the flavour and the texture all combined... This is perfect!"

"Agreed. I think I'll go get myself a- HOLY CRAP."

"Aaaaack! What the hell are you doing?" Chie squealed as Yosuke started shoveling Chie's entire meal down his gullet.

It was hypnotising, watching the food just vanish.

So much so I didn't even notice him grab Yukiko's bowl out of my hand.

"D-dude..." was all I managed as I watched him finish off the second bowl.

"You ate _everything_." A dejected Chie wailed.

"M-my fried tofu..." Yukiko mumbled.

Yosuke immediately stopped eating. "Your... Your what?"

"My fried tofu?" Yukiko half-questioned.

"U-um... Ambulance please..." he mumbled to me before promptly passing out.

* * *

So it turns out Yosuke is allergic to tofu. Who knew? Unfortunately for him, the girls decided seeing him with a balloon face wasn't enough compensation for their food and sentenced him to buying them steak once he gets out of the hospital tomorrow.

They're keeping him overnight for observation.

He ate a _lot_ of tofu.

"The 4th and the 5th..." Uncle spoke up from behind his newspaper while Nanako and I watched TV. "I think I might be able to get the 4th and the 5th off."

"Really?" Nanako squeaked, then "... Really?" with a bit more trepidation.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"It's always cancelled." she replied sulkily.

"N-not _every_ year..." he defended weakly. "I know you wanted to go to Junes but... I wouldn't mind going a little further out of the neighbourhood."

Nanako stood up. "Really? Can we go on a trip?"

"Uhh... Well it might be okay to go on a trip once in a while. I'm sure it'll be crowded everywhere, though."

"Yaaaay! We're going on a trip!" Nanako squealed.

This can only end badly.

"Hm. Alright, then we need to think of someplace to go. How about you?" Uncle asked me. "Wanna come along with us?"

"Sure! I want to come." Will end badly.

"Yeah! Let's all go together! Let's bring boxed lunches!"

"Hm? Yeah, good idea." Uncle agreed with his daughter. "We're always eating side-dishes for dinner. But I can't cook and Nanako's not good enough yet to make them by herself... " He stood and walked over to me. "Well, it'll work out. That's what we've got this guy for, huh Nanako?"

"Yaaaaay! Boxed lunches!"

Well... Okay then. Looks like I'm making lunches.

Or I would be, if this weren't going to end badly.

* * *

A/N Another short chapter. As is my current pattern. Soon as I hit 3000 words I look to finish up. Oh well. Means I update more often at least.

So those who didn't get the music gag at the opening, InMe is one of my personal favourite bands. They were big in Japan at one point. Thus I can rationalise them into the story. Hooray for rationalisation! 'Tis a beautiful thing!

ROAR OF THE REVIEW DRAGON! (I been watching Fairy Tail. Can you tell?)

**Kjman456**:I've said these exact words before a few times and have been wrong for most of them BUT I'd be surprised if the Shiroku store lady shows up at all.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: I agree. And I personally prefer Soul Phase out of your suggestions. Though Soul Shift could work too... Hm. Needs a name, regardless.

**Blazingreaper**: It's Minato's right arm. You didn't miss anything. The power is (mostly) unique to Seta.

**AthanMortis**: Entire right arm. The non-infested one. And as SamJaz said in one of his reviews, final pairing is set. But I'll be playing with others. And again, no (overt) spare pairing.

Reviews done. Aye sir!

Next thing I write SHOULD be the Pixie-centric story I've been talking about for... months. Heheh. Also, I'm planning on starting another fic that I'll be working on on the side. Will be a side project only though. This story will be my main focus writing-wise until it's finished, I assure you. Just need something else to work on in case I get a bit burned out on the Persona stuff. Will probably be a One Piece fic. That way there'll be plenty of fight scenes so I can get some practice in where it won't bother me as much if it sucks. Heheh.

Also I'm considering adding chapter names to this. Let me know in the reviews if any of you have a problem with that.

Thanks for reading.


	18. Ignition

{05/01/11: Sunday}

* * *

I got an e-mail from Yosuke about an hour after I awoke telling me he was out of the hospital. I asked if he was okay with properly showing Yukiko the other world today.

"Okay. Can get that dumb 'debt' out of the way then too. Food court at 1?"

I agreed and sent Chie an e-mail to let her know so she could bring Yukiko.

Gives me a few hours to bone up on my mythology, visit the Velvet Room and go see Daidara. Never a bad thing to have a plan.

-So is all of this stuff about you accurate, Orobas?-

=More or less.=

-Even this stuff about you being 'faithful to your conjurer?'-

=It is. Though you are not a summoner or 'conjurer'. My agreement is with Igor, meaning I am loyal to him until the contract is fulfilled. You need not worry. That contract states I must assist you on your 'journey'. Thus, I shall not betray you.=

-At least not until the 'journey' is over, right? So when _does_ my journey end? When I catch the murderer? When I complete all of the social links? When I die?-

=Even if I knew, I would not tell you. My loyalty is to Igor and he does not yet wish for you to know.=

-I can understand that, I guess. But if this stuff is accurate, that means any information I find on demons is likely to be reality in the demon world, then?-

=Hard to say. Unique demons like myself? Your information is likely correct. But when there is more than one version of a mythic creature, Oberon for example, you could be dealing with the Oberon from the Shakespeare play or the Oberon from that French epic.=

-... You've gotten good at reading my thoughts. Shame you couldn't find the name of that epic either. It's gonna bug me now.-

=Indeed.=

* * *

"Hey, Daidara-san! You around?" I shouted as I entered the seemingly empty metalworks.

"That you, kid?" he shouted back. Guess he was taking a break or something.

"Yeah. I just came by to sell some more crap! Maybe buy a new weapon!"

I don't know which part got him moving but he darted into the store proper before I even noticed. "What ya got for me?" he asked, an eager glint in his eye.

I emptied the contents of my bag onto the counter, various shadow bodyparts spilling out onto it and some falling to the floor for lack of space.

He whistled. "Woah. You've been busy! I'll see what I can fix up for ya!"

"Thanks. Oh, and we've got a new member so I need another weapon."

"Anything they're skilled with?"

… Whoops. Probably should've asked. "Uhh... gimme a minute." I said, pulling out my phone to e-mail Chie.

"Sure. I'll be workin' on your stuff in the meantime."

I asked Chie if Yukiko knew how to use any weapons.

"n, mrtl rts wnt bd. smthn ez, k?"

Uhh... what? "Hey, Daidara. Any idea what this says?"

He turned around to glance at the screen. "Heh. Sound it out, kid. Friend of mine uses that kind of shorthand too. It's a pain in the ass but you can figure it out."

… "Well I guess the 'n' at the start means 'no' so there's no preference. Just make it something easy to pick up... Both literally and figuratively, now that I think about it." No combat experience and probably not too much manual labour means not much strength, after all.

"'Nother girl?" he asked.

"Yeah." I answered.

He looked to be in thought for a second before walking over to a shelf and picking up a fan.

A steel fan.

"Enjoy." He gave the fan to me and went back to work.

It is kind of light. And that edge looks pretty sharp. This could work but I don't know how easy wielding it will be. Suppose we'll find out later.

Ten minutes later Daidara was done with the materials I gave him. He placed several new items on the counter for me to look at. "This is what we got. I'll keep these reserved for ya since you're prob'ly gonna need 'em more."

"No more freebies then?" I asked.

"Gotta pay for services rendered, kid. Just the way the world works."

"Fair enough." I looked over the new armour available. I decided on the kevlar vest and a survival guard since I didn't want to run out of money instantly by buying the better options. Chie could use better footwear at this point so I took a pair of the new boots too. "How much will these cost me?"

"You're still up by about 1200 yen." he answered with a displeased look on his face.

"Don't worry about it. You'll start taking my money again when we'll all need a full upgrade. And to tell you the truth, that'll probably be soon."

"Going that bad, huh?" he sighed. I suppose he wants all this murder stuff done with too.

"We have one lead. Which has about a 5% chance of narrowing it down to about 90% of the town instead of 100%. At this rate we've got no choice but to wait until someone else gets kidnapped."

"Wish I could do more to help." was his response.

I laughed. "You'd be surprised how much you've helped me without even realising it. See ya next time."

"Good luck, kid."

* * *

I decided to skip the Velvet Room until we got into the TV world. That way I can demonstrate my ability properly. I'll only need a few seconds for it anyway.

I was the last to show up at the food court so the others were already eating. I ordered myself a cheeseburger from one of the vendors and joined them.

"Great timing right?" Yosuke said as I sat down. "They just started serving grilled steak today. We're doing our part to spread the town's speciality dish. Plus, we've already got an excellent grill."

"That's just a yakisoba griddle." Chie complained. "Oh well. Steak is steak. It's far from a fillet steak though." She looked to Yukiko."Yukiko, are you okay with this? It's not too heavy for you?"

"I'll eat it." Yukiko answered sulkily. "But I'm still mad."

"He had to go to the hospital. I'd say the punishment is fair." More than, even. They both ignored my comment though. Well, I tried at least.

"Back on topic, I wonder what kind of person the culprit is." said Chie.

"Tell me we're not back to saying 'culprit' every two sentences." I complained. "Whatever. If it were about Yamano-shi we could say it were a revenge thing but since Yukiko was taken too then it can't be that. There's no motive. So... Well, it could be anyone, really."

"Well, if we go with your theory on the inn being connected, that only leaves Saki-senpai to be explained. Could it have been a cover-up? Like maybe she had evidence on the culprit?"

I visibly (intentionally) winced at the word culprit but otherwise ignored it. "That's the only explanation we have but the more I think about it, the less it makes sense. The _perpetrator_", I will get these people to start using synonyms if it kills me. "threw the victims into a TV. What possible useful evidence could there be of someone doing that? Saki-senpai only found the body. Even if there were some trace it had been in that world, she wouldn't understand it."

Yosuke paused to think on what I said. "... So you're saying... We have nothing?"

I sighed. "Pretty much."

"Man, I thought the countryside would be a snooze but it's proving to be a lot more exciting than I thought... Ooh! They updated the menu!"

I know that voice.

"Hey, isn't he that detective?" Chie spoke up, pointing out Adachi as he looked at the menu.

"Hey, you were at Dojima-san's... It's Seta-kun, right?" Adachi asked me as he wandered over to our table.

I nodded. "Hey, Adachi-san."

He smiled politely and turned to everyone else at the table. "Yo! I'm Adachi. Dojima-san's gofer... Err, I mean, his partner."

"Are you this busy everyday?" Yosuke asked.

"Huh? Oh, well the public seems to be getting a charge out of these cases but we can't leave it at that." Adachi answered.

"Sorry to butt in, but could it be that the killer targeted Saki-senpai in order to silence her?" Chie asked for... some reason, I'm sure.

Adachi seemed to have been sent off-balance by the question. "U-umm, you sure do get to the heart of the matter. Yikes... Haha." He paused to regain his composure before continuing. "Of course, we're also thinking along those lines. She was killed right after the announcer's body was found. If the killer was trying to silence her, there might've been something at the scene only she would've understood. Which would mean the culprit may be someone close to Konishi-chan."

… Chan?

"Nothing like that points to Misuzu Hiragi so... Ooh, I might have stumbled across something here." A panicked look suddenly crossed Adachi's face. "W-wait, were you all listening to that? Crap! Me and my big mouth... D-don't tell anyone I said that or Dojima-san will flay me alive." He cleared his throat before finishing with "Relax, kids. The police are on the job!" It wasn't as inspiring as he wanted it to be.

Chie sighed as Adachi walked away. "You guys were right. The police are totally useless."

"They're about two steps behind us by the sounds of it." Yosuke agreed.

"Konishi-chan."

Yosuke glared at me. "Dude, I know she's gone but she's still your senpai."

"No no! Adachi!" I defended. "_Adachi-san_ called her 'Konishi-chan'. Because he met her. Because the police _interviewed_ her about the case. If she knew anything she would've told them. It would've been too late for a cover-up. Adachi-san just confirmed that... we have nothing." Oh.

"Yeahhh, that's not really good news." Chie pointed out.

I sighed. "Stepping back from the wrong path is still stepping toward the right one. We've just got to keep going."

"You sound like a fortune cookie." Yosuke stated, deadpan.

"Maybe. But an _accurate_ fortune cookie." I retorted.

"There's no such thing as an accurate fortune cookie." Yosuke continued, still deadpan.

"Yeah, well... you're not... I'm not... shut up!"

"Hahaha! I win! You suck!" Yosuke gloated, pumping his fist in the air.

Stupid Yosuke...

* * *

Ahhh, inside the TV. Here I'm king. Here _I'm_ the winner and Yosuke is the stupid. Nya-ha!

"Wow..." Yukiko gasped. "This really is inside the TV."

Teddie waddled up to her. Teddie is also the stupid. Nya-ha!

=Please stop doing that.=

-Orobas is the stupid. Ny-

=You are on my list, summoner.=

-... Sigh. Orobas isn't the stupid.-

=Incidentally, why are you speaking... and thinking... like a human youngling at the moment?=

-I 'unno. Bored, I guess.-

"It's Teddie!" Yukiko exclaimed. "Then it wasn't a dream."

Hold up. "We've all been talking about this place for the past two days and you still thought this place was a dream?" I asked.

"Well..." That was all the answer she gave.

Yukiko is the stupid... Well, maybe that's unfair. It _is_ a lot to take in.

"Are you feeling better, Yuki-chan?" Teddie asked. "I did what you said! I've been a good bear!"

"Oh, I see! Good boy!" she said as she patted his head. An involuntary shudder ran down my spine.

Yosuke seemed weirded out too but did a passable job of hiding it. "W-well, this bear's part of the reason we want to find the culprit."

"I'm one of the group now too." Yukiko announced. "Let's work together, okay?"

"Yep! I was thinking the same thing!" Teddie grinned as he held up a pair of red-framed glasses. "That's why I got these ready for you, Yuki-chan!"

"Oh, so these are what everyone's wearing. Thank you, Teddie." Yukiko put on her pair of glasses and had the usual reaction. "You're right. It's like the fog doesn't exist." Almost word for word what Chie said.

"Hey, tell me something." Chie interrupted. "How come you have so many pairs of glasses?"

"Excellent question!" Teddie praised. Deserved praise, too. How did we never think to ask that until now? "Guess what? I'm the one who makes them! I've lived here for a long time so I've come up with some ways to be comfortable here."

"I see. But don't you need a pair?" Yukiko asked.

"Ooooh! Good point! Another great question! Listen to this! My eyes themselves are lenses! … You didn't know?"

"Of course not." Yosuke spat back.

"Wh-why are you being so mean? You act like you're not interested." Teddie whined. "I'm a really dexterous bear! See how smoothly my fingers move!"

… I'm watching a living bear costume wiggle it's fingers at my best friend. Where did my life go wrong?

"What am I even looking at?" Yosuke yelled as he pushed Teddie over, only for Teddie to flip back onto his feet again instantly.

You know what?

It was another great question.

"Hm? You dropped something." Yukiko pointed out as she picked something up from where Teddie did his little flip.

"Oh. That's a pair I kinda screwed up on." Teddie admitted.

Yukiko put them on.

"O-oh... Ummm... Y-Yukiko?" Chie stammered.

Yukiko started chuckling to herself. "How do I look?"

It was one of those joke disguises with the fake nose and moustache. And you know what? "I'm speechless."

She continued laughing to herself. "Awesome."

"Do you like that one, Yuki-chan?" Teddie asked, sincerely.

"I want to wear this one. It's even got a nose guard!" She's still laughing.

"Ohh, no you don't!" Chie interrupted.

"How beary unfortunate." Teddie apologised. "That pair doesn't have the right lenses in. Guess I should've-WAAAH!"

The yell was because I just tackled him. "What did I _say _about the _bear puns?_"

"Waaaaaahahahah!" Teddie cried in fear. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorryyy!"

I climbed off of him and walked back towards the others. "Sorry about that." I turned back to Teddie as he got up. Since when could he do that himself? "No more puns! Promise me!"

"B-b-but... a life without puns... That'd be... _UNBEARABLE_! Hahahahaha!"

"_I'll kill you you little bastard!_" I moved to chase down the damned bear but Yosuke grabbed me before I could. "Lemme go, Yosuke! I can end the torment right here! I'm gonna tear him a new _zipper!"_

"Let it- ungh! Let it go, man! You can't stop him making the puns and we need him!"

"The puns must end! Let me go and I can put and end to the madness!"

"Chie! Slap 'im for me!"

Wha...?

I didn't even see the hand until it hit me. Hard.

"Look, I hate the puns as much as – no. I _clearly_ don't hate 'em as much as you do. But we're working for the greater good here, remember? We're here to catch a murderer, not a pun-slinger."

… "What was that?"

"I said, uhh, 'we're here to catch a murderer'. Th-then I stopped talking. Yup. Right, Chie?"

"R-right!"

I sighed. "... Greater good?"

"Greater good." Yosuke answered.

"Can I kill him after?" I asked hopefully.

"We'll see." he said as he let go of me.

I sighed again. "Okay. Calm. Happy thoughts."

"Ooh! I know what will help! Chie, try these on!" Yukiko suggested.

Please don't.

Chie sighed. "Man... Alright, fine."

No.

As she put on the disguise, I saw all of my fantasies smashed to pieces one after another. Every time I check her out when she's not looking this is all I'm gong to see.

At least I'm not angry anymore. Now I'm just depressed.

Yukiko, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of her life.

"Snrk... Heehee!... Ahaha, ahahahahaha!"

And she's all the creepier for it.

Chie sighed. "How'd it come to this?"

Yosuke was as confused as I was. "Yukiko-san? Hellooooo?"

"There goes one of Yukiko's laughing fits." Chie explained. "I never thought she'd do it when someone besides me was around." She took off the disguise, thank god. "These glasses are useless for investigating! What the hell's this nose for anyway?"

"Nice work, huh?" Teddie answered her sarcastically as he walked back, unafraid now that his doom is no longer so impending. "That's what happens when you guys leave me here alone and I get bored!"

"Now is not the time for you to get snarky, bear." I warned him.

"Well, at least she's in high spirits I guess." Yosuke observed.

Wow. She's still going.

… "I'm just gonna wait this out.

A full _fifteen minutes_ later, Yukiko managed to calm down. So I went over some of the basics with her. I actually put some prep work into demonstrating persona abilities.

"Okay." I began. "Say something hideous jumps out at you. Something so disgusting that it simply must die."

I placed copies of the Twilight series on the floor of the entrance. "Ugh! So terribly written! Can't look... directly at it!" I made a show of cowering a little bit. "But I control those feelings, focus, concentrate," I willed Orobas card into existence "... and release!"

I smashed the card in my hand, summoning Orobas to destroy the abomination of literature with cleansing fire. "And the world is a better place. Now, your abilities are fire based, like the ones I just used so-"

"How the hell did you know that?" Yosuke interrupted.

"She told us, remember? Dumbass." I answered, rolling my eyes.

Yukiko spoke up. "Umm... N-no, I didn't."

"Sure you... Oh."

Uh oh.

"Umm... Gimme a couple minutes? Yosuke, explain why I'll look like I'm staring into space for me, would you?"

"Sure thing, Seta."

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"Yo, Igor." I said in reply to Igor's standard greeting. "I can now understand other persona users' abilities without even thinking about it. That supposed to happen?"

"Yes. In truth we expected it to happen sooner. It seems you are taking longer to acclimate to your new abilities, do to other external factors not present within other Wild Cards." was his answer.

"That's... actually very reassuring. Thanks. Well... While I'm here I'd like to get some fusing done."

The grin I'm used to seeing Igor wear vanished. "I'm sure. Yes, indeed! However, I have some information for you on the new ability you have discovered."

"Seriously? You've figured it out? Oh, Igor I could hug you right now!" I won't but I could. Finally! Some useful intel!

"Not exactly. I had what you may call a 'hunch'. There are many demons that can change forms as you appear to be able to. Mostly they are young demons, recently born from what you would consider modern fiction."

He has a point. Nero, Elfman, Allen Walker, and those are just off the top of my head. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised how common a theme it is.

"However," Igor went on, "there is one demon that stands out among the rest. Different from the others. Different from most demons, in fact. He appears human but can transform himself into a full demonic form at will. And yet that is not why I am so certain he is involved in your problem." he finished with a grin.

"And why are you?" I said, literally on the edge of my seat.

Igor closed his eyes. "His name... is Serph."

…

Calm.

…

Stay. Calm.

…

Stay. Fucking. CALM!

"Igor, please take every persona I have and fuse them into as high level personae as I can manage without my head exploding."

He nodded. "Very well."

I spent the next 5 minutes clawing at the fabric of my chair while I waited.

There was none left by the time Igor was done.

"Titan, Eligor and Jack Frost. If you wish for more information on Serph, you may get lucky by communicating with Jack Frost as he was most recently associated with the Jack clan." Igor advised.

"Whatever." I answered. Then left.

* * *

I reached into my weapon bag as soon as I got back into the TV world. "Yukiko, here's your weapon." I stated flatly as I gave her the steel fan. "Chie, new weapon." giving her the boots. "Yukiko, armour." giving Yukiko the survival guard. "Yosuke, armour." giving him the kevlar vest.

"Seta-kun, i-is something wrong?" Chie asked as she looked at me.

"We're going to the castle. Yukiko needs training... And I need to kill something."

* * *

A/N: You guys can say mood whiplash all you want but I just say I keep you bastards on your toes! YEAH! Also, I think someone asked for a Psychonauts reference. Hope that didn't disappoint. And Orobas is unceremoniously dumped for Jack Frost. A shame but Rob's a big boy (horse). He can take it.

So not only was everyone right in thinking it was Serph, Seta already seems to know him? Gasp! What could this mean? Keep reading and find out, dumbass! WOOOOOOOHOO!

Sorry. Had three energy drinks while writing this. I am SO fucking hyper right now! =D

Have you seen **REVIEWS** lurking in woods, with skin where hair should be?

**Derek Barona**: Yeah. We're seeing a bit of a butterfly effect in how the scenes are changing. Since Yosuke was less of a dumbass initially and Seta isn't silent (and also not a dumbass), the early theories on the murders are quickly decided to be wrong. And Seta seems to be running on the 'never assume' principle. Which is good. Because if you assume you make an ass out of u and me! As for suggestions, I'll listen to 'em but it depends on whether I can 1: make them interesting and 2: justify their wasting time with Seta (so no big guys like Lucifer or Satan or anything. They have better things to do than hang around in Seta's head being snarky).

**Astrih Konnash**: I don't think Minato and Minatos conversed in the original FEStory but they do in the Rebuild of FEStory.

**Koraan**: I think I may have disappointed you and a few others with this chapter. Sorry.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: The thing with the dream band was entirely for my own amusement. 'InMe' are a band only known in the UK (and even there it's iffy). But Orobas sang their songs and changed the name to 'InYou' because he was inside Seta's head. Literally InHim, as it were. No one but me would get it but I enjoyed it so neener neener thbbbbbt! First chapter of FESoul = Fox's persona is (was ;_;) Inari. (SamJaz you bastard!)

**KJMan456**: Nono! Questions are good! They get me to think of answers! And answers lead to plot twists and turns and twisty turns!

**Kisdota-etc**: I'm well aware of the reason for Seta's persona. But it still came from somewhere, didn't it?

**Have a Little Feith**: Alice, huh? I may just do that. That's what... level 80something? (checking...) 72. Okay. By that point the personae are too powerful (Warp side) to care about Seta so that's probably gonna happen. How long that lasts is questionable though.

In Russia, **REVIEWS (OVER)** much smaller. Also, more hair. Less lurking.

Well aren't I full of Psychonauts references today? =D

So I said something about some Warp-side shenanigans with Pixie last time, didn' I? Yeahhhhhh. I'm planning. First chapter of that will be an intro to the demon world. Society, attitudes, and a deeper explanation of what the summoner and persona contracts are. Second is Pixie. Third is Orobas.

Warp-side stuff will not be as happy and cheery as FEShadow, either. Also, it needs a name. Suggestions appreciated.

Think I'm forgetting something...

Oh yeah! Now I remember!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, YA ASSHATS! =D

Thanks for reading!


	19. Seta Souji II

The others made no secret of the fact that they were keeping their distance while we headed for the castle. Don't really blame them for it.

… I should walk and plan. No chance I'm gonna waste time on that when we get there.

"Two teams. Chie, Teddie and Yukiko is the first. Yukiko, try to take on the shadows yourself. Chie should intervene if things get hairy. Yosuke, you're with me. You'll be keeping me alive since I have no healing skills right now." Not that I'd pay attention to using them even if I did have them.

"A-are you sure, Seta? Wouldn't it be better if you were with Yukiko since you're most experienced with this stuff?" Chie asked me.

I thought for a moment. "... No. I'm not in a good frame of mind for looking after someone. Yukiko trusts you. So do I. Keep her safe."

"... R-right!" Since I can hear the smile in her voice, that was probably the right thing to say. Go me.

"Meet at the stairs on each floor. If we don't show up in ten minutes, look for us. If you can't find us or you run into Black Shuck, use this", I threw the traesto gem to Chie ,"to get yourselves out. Yosuke and I will get out the old-fashioned way. Any objections?" I asked.

Chie again. "What if you guys find Black Shuck?"

"... I'm not so far gone I might get myself killed. I still know not to pick a fight I can't win."

=Not a bad showin' of keepin' yer head, cutter.=

-... I'm not dealing with this right now.-

=Bar that. Aye boss.=

* * *

Our teams split up as we got inside the castle. Chie whispered something to Yosuke but I didn't catch it. Probably 'good luck' or something.

I watched Teddie and the girls turn a corner then looked at Yosuke. "Keep up."

And with that I took off running in the opposite direction, hunting for anything that I could make bleed.

It wasn't long before I found something. A crawling shadow cluster, and a big one at that. I let a feral grin spread across my face. Fantastic. I charged at it with a roar, raised my sword above my head and put all of my anger into a vertical slash, intending to split the cluster cleanly down the middle. The shadow cluster fled from its position as soon as it detected me, causing my attack to strike the floor and leave a groove in the stone.

Maybe I should calm down a bit...

...Didn't work. Shame.

The cluster continued to flee down the hallway. I forgot these ones were afraid of us. I summoned Titan for a skull cracker attack, telling the cluster in no uncertain terms that I wasn't going to let it get away.

The cluster got the hint and split into proper shadow forms. Four of the tongue balls that my new eyes recognise as 'Hablerie'. I could wipe these out with one attack now. But I won't.

I dashed at the closest of the Hablerie, and attacked with an upwards slash at its grotesque tongue. It backed out of my range easily, forcing me to advance more which allowed it and its buddies to surround me.

Ooh! Are they gonna rush me? Only one thing for it then. Heh.

I stood firm with my sword pointing behind me as I waited for the perfect moment to strike.

… There!

The Hablerie moved and in that instant I also made my move, swinging my katana horizontally striking each one of the enemy in succession. The first was barely caught by the blade tip, giving it something resembling a Joker smile. The second was left with a rather large gash on its right cheek. The third was particularly unlucky. The blade cut straight through its head but lost momentum as it reached the left side, causing the whole thing to flop open like a gruesome castanet before it dissolved.

Oh. Guess I missed the fourth then. I'll get him first.

Turned out the fourth had decided to back into the wall rather than attack. Perhaps the carnage I'd caused stunned it or maybe it just wasn't sure how to proceed against such an enemy that could instantly destroy it on a whim.

The point being it wasn't moving. It really should have done _something_. Flee while I butcher its allies or attack and die fighting. Dying by swallowing the blade of a katana because you didn't act. It just isn't a good way to go.

The one with the gash in its cheek wasn't as indecisive. It moved to bite a chunk out of me while my back was turned dealing with the fourth. Too late, though. I thrust the hilt of my katana over my shoulder as the fourth liquified on the blade. For some reason it decided biting down on the metal was a fantastic idea and broke several of its teeth in doing so.

Maybe I'm giving these things too much credit in assuming they have thought processes.

Oh well. I retrieved my katana with a few pulls and finished off the bleeding Hablerie. That just leaves the Joker that was on the floor for some reason.

"You know, that big smile really does suit you. Maybe we should make it... a little bigger."

I forced the blade into the thing's mouth, slicing a lip in the process, before slowly dragging slicing through the flesh on one side and finally thrusting the katana through the Hablerie's tongue to finally kill it.

…

=...Pike it. I ain't signed up for this. Ya can tell Igor 'e can take 'is contract an' _shove_ it. I dunno what those poor sods were but that last one... Tha' weren't even _necess'ry_.=

"... Feeling better." Yosuke asked, emotionless.

"..." My silence told him the answer. No.

"_Good._ I see anything like that again and I'll stop you myself. Got it? The last thing we need is our leader going psycho." he admonished.

It was justified too. What the hell is wrong with me?

=Feh. Least ya can tell it ain't right, berk.=

"... Let's get to the stairs. There's nothing to be gained from killing these things."

Yosuke just nodded and followed as I walked on.

* * *

We all headed straight up to the third floor before splitting up again. I altered the plan slightly so that Yosuke and I would look for the stairs and ignore the shadows we came across. I don't think there's any here that wouldn't run away from us now so it was easily done.

We kept moving like that until we got to the sixth floor. Since Yukiko had a fair bit of practice at this point I figured it was a good time for her to show off a little.

"Alright. From here on we're all staying together. Yukiko, you and I will take on the next one together. Also, use this." I told her as I handed her a snuff soul I'd found in a chest earlier. "It'll bring your spiritual energy back up."

It wasn't long before we found a cluster but what was strange was that it wasn't running away. In fact it seemed to be watching us.

It didn't even bother attacking as a cluster. Instead it took on its true form right away. An 'Avenger Knight', almost identical to the one Yukiko's shadow had sicked on us.

Perfect. "Alright. Yosuke, Chie, stay out of it unless things go very wrong. Yukiko, I take it you're better with using your persona than that fan since it's impossibly clean for having been used to fight shadows?" A sheepish look and a nod from her. Okay. "That's fine. I'll take it on up close while you stay back and support with ranged attacks and healing. Got it?" Another nod. Good.

I stepped forward to address the knight. "Thanks for waiting. You waited for us to prepare before attacking. Is that chivalry?" I started to pace. "Honestly, I can't figure you shadows out. Some act like animals, some like people. Ah, but why am I asking you? Not like you can answer. I suppose there's just some things I'll never understand about this place. But I digress. There's usually something people say before a fair fight what was it what was it...? Ah, that was it!" I turned to face Yukiko before whispering "Get back."

I moved a few steps closer to the knight and got into a defensive stance. "En garde!"

… Wait, what the hell am I doing? I'll get knocked on my ass like this!

The knight charged before I could change tactics, forcing me to try and deflect his lance as it approached me. It mostly worked. It still caught my shoulder as it went past. Things could have gone much worse.

Fun fact about this knight. His horse has no legs.

I dropped to the floor to avoid the rest of the knight before it could slam into me.

Hey, if this horse is floating, does that mean it can just-?

"Oof!" The whole thing dropping on top of me answered the unfinished question perfectly. "I'd like... to point out... my tactics _SUCK_!"

"No question." I think Yosuke said that. Though he has a girly voice so I may be mistaken. Also he's a stupid head.

=Oi, berk! Pay attention!=

Oh, ri- eh? Well I'll be damned. I should've seen that coming. Horse and rider. One shadow, two entities. The rider had decided to dismount and leave his steed pinning me to the floor.

… Wait, didn't this happen last time?

**Indeed. **

… Shit.

**My failures as a leader do seem to have a recurring pattern, don't they? I get myself incapacitated and a pretty girl ends up paying for it. How pathetic.**

What the hell are you talking abou- Oh, _shit_. He's gonna go for Yukiko first. "Guys, this would be a good example of shit hitting the fan." Chie and Yosuke didn't need to be told twice, immediately getting in position to guard Yukiko from the knight that was steadily approaching her.

**My my! Aren't they capable! Knowing exactly what to do. Not like me. Why the hell did they pick me to lead anyway? I'm just not good enough. Weak. Stupid. Even the two people who are _biologically_ _required_ to didn't see me as being worth a damn.** **Should just let those two deal with this.**

Shut the hell up! I can still help. I just have to move this thing.

Strongest persona I have. Eligor. Heh. Another knight. That's a little funny. I summoned him to try to force the horse off of me but unfortunately it wasn't as effective as I was hoping. It would work but it would take a while.

**I knew it. Can't do anything at all. Hell, he was even right to ignore me, wasn't he? Not even worth looking at.**

I said... Shut. The hell. UP.

**Oh? Why? After all, I'm you. So we both know you agree with me already.**

"ENOUGH!" I saw red. Of all times he picks _now_ to get on my case and _that_ as the wound he wants to pick a- Ow. "Ahh. Ahhhh AHHHHHHHHHHH!" My arm felt as though it was being roasted from the inside! It was unbearable!

**You're welcome.**

The pain began to fade and I noticed the changes that had occurred. Light red plate armour covered my right arm and hand and a spear clattered to the floor next to me.

This will prove an ideal solution to my problem.

=Y-ya... Like... You're like the Factor. How's tha' even...=

-This is neither the correct time, nor place.-

I picked up the spear with my plated arm and rammed it into a joint in the horse's armour directly above me.

It broke through in one try. This arm is indeed strong.

Taking advantage of my new opportunity, I put both hands in the hole I had created and pulled. My plan was to create an opening in the armour that I could move through.

Tearing a section of it clean off was not expected but a satisfactory outcome.

I threw the armour at the knight as he was attempting to remove the obstacles in the way of his target. It succeeded in getting his attention.

"Clearly I was mistaken in thinking you were being chivalrous earlier. Going out of your way to attack an inexperienced female combatant when there are better opponents available? Preposterous. No true knight would behave in such a manner. So, _knave_, I challenge you to single combat! One who would act in such a way does not deserve to be called 'knight' so I shall strip that title from you along with your life!"

It twirled it's hand as if to say 'get on with it'. The nerve!

Spears are long and have a pointed bit at the end. So... lunging with them is the way to go, I suppose. I charged at my opponent as he did the same, our polearms crossing as we neared each other.

He aimed low, skewering my leg.

I aimed high, knocking his helmet off.

And his head, it would seem. Oh, wait. They are made of armour aren't they? How infuriating. "Perhaps a more tried and true method would be more effective. Element spam, as you please."

Spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam SPAMMITY SPAAAM, spammity spam spam! Oh, right. I should join in. Ha!

I tried to summon a card.. Nothing. Huh. Well that's we- "aaaaaaaAAAAAAARGH!"

Shit, that burns! I felt tears welling up in my eyes as the pain reached an apex. As it began to fade again I noticed the armour and spear were gone and my katana was by the dissolved remains of the horse the knight was riding on.

"... Umm."

"... Yeah."

"... Should we, ahh, go to the seventh floor?" Chie asked. "Teddie said there's a big shadow up on the eighth."

"Hmm. Let's... not go to the eighth floor. It is a silly place." I answered.

"Ni!"

Holy shit! Yosuke got the reference!

* * *

We used the traesto to get ourselves back out. Felt like a waste but it'll make me more motivated to find more before we come back in. The others were staring at me when we got back to the entrance. I sighed. "Alright. Ask. I know you all want to."

"Oh, there's a whole list of what we wanted to ask, not to mention a few questions I bet Yukiko still has since you decided to cut her introduction to all this stuff short." Yosuke pointed out with a bit of a glare. "But let's start from the top. What pissed you off so bad?"

"Igor." I answered, glibly. I really don't want to talk about this.

"Okay... How about you try that again without being evasive. Why Igor?"

I sighed. "Not letting me out of this, then. Fine. He told me he found out why I can do weird things with my personae." Plural is right. I've done it with two now. "Turns out it probably has something to do with a demon named 'Serph'."

"And this made you angry because...?" Yosuke pressed.

"I'm getting to it! You want me to talk or not?" Calm. Calm. Deep breaths. ""Serph is my father's name. I... We don't get along. Or to put it another way, he hasn't bothered to speak to me in person in four years. And... that's all I'm gonna say on the subject. It's not important so please don't push it."

=How 'bout me?=

-Later.-

"... Fine. Next question. Who were you yelling at during that fight? And don't say one of your personae. None of them have been able to press your buttons like _that_."

Stupid Yosuke being perceptive. "... My shadow."

Chie gasped. Yukiko looked confused. Yosuke grimaced. Teddie nearly shat himself. Yukiko spoke up first. "I thought you already accepted-"

Yosuke interrupted her to explain what we hadn't bothered to until now. "Seta is different. His persona was given to him by someone else."

"And he used my not-accepted shadow to do that. Making him in his words: 'my spiritual bitch'. Now it can talk to me in my dreams. And evidently in this world too." I explained. Though he's strangely quiet now.

**Just didn't feel like interrupting. That would be bad manners, after all. Don't mind me.**

"Seta, we need to deal with this. If it's gonna mess with your head in the middle of fights it could get you killed!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"**Oh, now I **_**can't**_** stay quiet after **_**that**_**. That's just not fair!**"

You could have heard a pin drop as my shadow formed in front of me. Looking identical to how he looked in the dream.

"**Hi there, folks! I'm Seta Souji! And I'm better than all of you!**" he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Don'tsayanything don'tsayanything don'tsayanything don'tsa-

"Seta, just admit it's you and we can end this crap here!" Yosuke yelled.

"**Ugh. You really are slow, aren't you, Yosuke. You've been through it. You should know it isn't as simple as saying the words. You have to **_**mean**_** it. Now look at 'me', cowering over there. You really think he's ready for that? To admit his many many **_**many**_** flaws?**"

"Then do what you came to do. Air all his dirty secrets so he'll deny you and we can kick your ass into orbit!" Chie growled.

"**Oh, how I'd love to do that, Chie... among other things... However, again I point you to 'me'. He knows not to say anything by now. He's more likely to have a stress-induced aneurysm than he is to deny me.**"

"Then what the hell do you want?" Yosuke yelled.

"**What every semi-sentient shadow wants, of course! The problem lies in getting it. We seem to be at something of a stalemate, don't we? I can't get him to deny me, you can't get him to accept me. And if I push him too hard he might go insane. You can imagine what would happen to **_**me**_** then.**"

"**So how about this: I play along with the old man's game and be a good little ****persona or whatever. I mean it's not like I want him to die without denying me. Again, what happens to **_**me**_** then?**"

"And we're supposed to just believe you?" Yosuke asked, disbelieving.

"**Once more, if he dies, I die. I. Don't. Want. That. Hell, I was even helping him back there! You do remember what happened **_**after**_** my little conversation with him, right?**"

"... His arm!" Yosuke announced in realisation.

"**Ding ding! 10 points to the dorky one! Yeah. I know sort of how it works now.**"

"Okay... But that doesn't mean I trust a thing you say. You're a shadow, after all."

"**Yeah well... What're you gonna do? Anyway, I should probably get myself gone before Wonderboy over there starts bleeding out of his ears. Be seeing you!**"

"Seta! Seta!" Someone was shaking me. "Snap out of it, man!"

"Yosuke, back off a little. He'll come around eventually. Just give him a few minutes."

"Okay, fine. But should we do something about this? _Can_ we do something about this?"

"What can we do? If that thing doesn't make a move then there's nothin' we can do to it." Chie pointed out.

Not possible.

I summoned the card for my active persona.

I looked at it and an image of Izanagi looked back. I snapped it in two.

Yosuke frowned as he saw the form of my first persona again. It had the audacity to wave.

This is a problem that isn't going away any time soon.

* * *

A/N: First chapter I've ever had to fully re-draft because it was so crap the first go round. Much more satisfied with this version.

From the top, we have Seta flying off the handle... sort of. I guess he just thinks a lot, even when angry.

Jack Frost is speaking the Planar cant. I might tone down the accent if it's too off-putting but the slang stays. First search result is a dictionary if you feel the need for one.

Backstoryyyyy! I actually decided on Seta's backstory and personal baggage recently. Dunno how well it turned out but hey. And the Serph stuff is now officially figure-out-able if you think about this stuff way way wayyyyy too much. Well maybe not 'figure-out-able'. More like 'educated-guess-able'. Good luck with that.

FURTHERMORE! I did not steal Seta's backstory from Lusnati Style. Honest. When I told SamJaz what I wanted to do he pointed out Seta was becoming dangerously similar to Lusnati and that I should read it to avoid that fate. I have a different plan. I read up to chapter 7 where the similarities start to appear (in my view) and then STOPPED. Sorry, DropletofSour, I will never read your fic for fear of stealing your ideas. Again, very sorry.

Any similarities are entirely coincidental.

Finally, you might notice something odd about his shadow. It will make sense. Eventually.

**REVIEW** with your dying will!

**Eggmiester**: It was the latter kind of 'keep calm'. Yeah.

**KJMan456**: I bet this chapter has done nothing to relieve your confuzzledness. As for Kanji, well... I'll put it this way. Yukiko doesn't have any real problems. But the others? Hooooo boy.

**Gryphon117**: All Megaten games are considered canon as having happened (or some variant on the events will have happened) as far as I'm aware. So DDS happened too.

**College Fool**: Review count is most likely due to SamJaz' influence (think he said 'hey go read this nao' on three separate releases) but the compliment is appreciated. As for planning, I've not done much to be honest. I'm going off the Max S-Link guide on GFAQS which uses several days for stat building and such so I'll have more time to work with than the game gave. Though I'll say the job-based links will probably be done as quickly as possible for the sake of realism.

**Derek Barona**: I need to get someone to sign my awesome P4 jacket. But nobody comes to England. Sad face. Titania will be important (as you'll see when I finally get round to posting the damn Pixie chapter _).

**Kisdota-etc**: For the last question: both. YAHAHAHA!

**REVIEWS OVER**. Also, what bright spark thought 'deathperation' was a better translation than 'dying will' for the Katekyo Hitman Reborn anime subtitles?

… Sorry. It's been months and it still bugs me. Damn puns...

*ahem* Thanks for reading!

By the way, go read chapter 2 of FESoul. It's awesome and I promise nothing important from this gets spoiled. GO READ IT!


	20. Big Bro

"So... We should head back." Yosuke recommended.

This is why I trust him at my back the most. He always has it, without me even needing to ask.

"But what did he mean by th-"

"_Please... _Another time." I begged, more emphatically than I intended, and cutting Yukiko off in the process.

No one spoke up again and we all went home in silence.

… Well, _they_ went home. I stopped at every food place I saw, _then_ went home. I'm starting to think it's a side effect.

* * *

"Welcome ho...ome?" Nanako paused upon seeing me walk into the living room.

"Thanks, Nanako." I answered quietly.

=She yer brat?=

-Don't call her a brat. And no, she's my cousin.-

=Nothin' meant by it, cutter. Just what we call 'em.=

"What happened to your uniform?"

… Oh. I'm sleeveless again. _Awesome_. I'm gonna have to start buying these jackets in bulk. "I, uh, got my sleeve caught... on a can-opener. Yeah."

=Hee-ho! Buckley's chance she'll fall for that!=

-Shut it. I've had a bad day.-

"... Okay." she shrugged and went back to watching TV.

-Yeah, she didn't buy it but at least she isn't asking questions.-

I headed upstairs having already eaten (several times) and went straight for my computer. -So, this Serph. Tell me about him.-

=Ehh... Remember that, eh? Wish I'd kept my bone-box shut but noooo.= I heard him sigh inside my head.

I finally found a picture of my father online and resisted the urge to break something. -Is that him?-

=Nope. But I ain't exactly a blood on what humans look like. Hair ain't right though. That count?=

-Okay.- One outlandish theory dealt with. Moving on. -So your Serph. Who is he and what is he like? You said his abilities are like mine.-

=What, you expect me to tell ya the dark of it just like that? Pike that, boss! No way am I tellin' you anythin' 'bout the factor. From the chant I heard earlier you might be off for killin' him if I do!=

-... Then I'll find a way to make you tell me. You _don't_ want to fight me on this.-

=Yeah I sodding do, berk! You're talkin' treason here! Not gonna happen.=

-We'll see.- I headed into the bathroom to clean myself up a bit. Not much shadow muck on me this time. Lucky lucky.

* * *

{05/02/11: Monday}

* * *

Yukiko caught me on my way into school despite my best efforts. Really didn't want to talk to any of them today, especially her. Not after how very badly I screwed up. I doubt a sheepish apology will cover this one but... Well, I don't have much else.

"That's okay. I only had to deal with that once but you must have to deal with that side of you all the time over there, right? Must be... stressful." There was an awkward silence before she changed the subject. "Do you have any plans for Golden Week?"

"Well we're supposed to be going for a family outing. But frankly I doubt it's gonna happen. If there's anything I've learned about my Uncle it's that he's terrible at keeping plans."

"I-i see. That must be tough. But at least we'll be having clear skies all week. It'd be nice if it could stay peaceful like this but the mystery hasn't been solved yet."

A laugh escaped me before I could help it. "Sorry but you have a strange definition of 'peaceful'."

* * *

So midterms are next week then? That means no football. And the weather means no crazy stuff going on for at least a week.

It's almost like the universe is giving me a break for once. A stress-free week.

Okay, maybe it's a little weird that I consider the week before exams to be 'stress-free' but I've been to so many schools with prohibitively high standards that a laid-back place like this will be a breeze.

Plus I'm fluent in English. So that's one perfect score already.

Now that I think about it though, what the hell do I do while everyone else is studying? It's not like I have money to bur- …

To the job board! I need MONEY!

* * *

I headed straight home to get to work as soon as I got the job I found.

Translator job. Ideal for me. Can earn enough money to cover the cost of new uniforms, at least.

Maybe I could even get a custom one without the school logos... That'd be pretty sweet...

* * *

"You _what_."

_\_Looks like I can't get that time off. One of the younger guys got sick and-_\_

"Don't bother. I've heard the justifications before. Your job is important and your five year old daughter who is currently crying in her room just doesn't compare."

=Hooo... That was colder than _me_.=

"Keep this up and she'll end up hating you for it. Trust someone who speaks from experience."

_\_ … _\_ The clicking sound of Uncle hanging up told me the conversation was over.

… I'm fairly certain I crossed a line there. How is it that I only do that with Uncle of all people?

Whatever. I have to go fix his mess for him now so there's no way I'm gonna feel guilty.

Hmm. This is a delicate situation. How should I approach this... Common ground seems like the most obvious route but present me is definitely wrong. I'd be more likely to make her hate him more.

So past me then. Younger me when I was full of hope and belief that people weren't bastards on purpose.

Eight year old me. That might work. Let's try that.

=You do this often? Pretendin' you're some other berk?=

-Not recently. It's an old hobby of mine. Besides, I'm not being someone else. Just a younger version of me.-

=Aye. One where you ain't anythin' like you are now. I see yer point, cutter.=

-Smartass.-

=Hypocrite.=

-Touché.-

"Nanako? You okay?" I asked through her closed bedroom door.

=Obviously not, berk.=

-Quiet, stupid head. I need to focus for this.-

"Go away!" was the muffled answer I received.

"'S it okay if I come in? 'Cos I'm gonna."

"Leave me alone!" I opened the door and got a pillow thrown at me for my trouble. Thank you persona ninja reflexes.

"Can't do that. 'Cos you're sad. And I don't think people should be alone when they're sad."

"I'm not sad!" she squeaked out from her position on the floor, tear-streaked face revealing the non-truth for what it was. "I'm mad!"

"Then you double shouldn't be alone then. Talking and yelling to a person who'll listen... maybe even understand a little. It could help."

"He _promised_!" she half-shrieked as she spun around to glare at me. I moved to sit leaning against the wall. "He promised and... he lied! He _always_ lies! He doesn't care about me anymore..."

"That's not true." A cracking in my voice mirrored the cracks in my façade. Got to stay focused. Believe it for her.

"It is! Ever since Mom his job's been more important!" Her tears began anew.

… I don't think I can fix this. Not tonight. This is going to take some work. For now, all I can do is try to patch things up a little.

I knelt down next to her. "Nanako, your Dad loves you."

"But-!"

"Listen. Someday soon he's going to prove how much he loves you. But until then you're just going to have to be patient with him. Can you do that?"

She looked up at me. Silence. I'm gonna have to take that as an 'I'll try'.

I smiled at her. "C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up before bed, okay?"

* * *

{05/03/11: Tuesday}

* * *

Gooooood moooooorniiiiing... Golden Week! A week filled with sunny, school-free days and zero percent drama! Sweet!

"Oh. Morning." Nanako greeted when I got downstairs. Watching TV. Still down. Hm.

Okay. Maybe there's still some drama. But you know what? I'm in a good mood. So today I am the anti-drama, banishing sad thoughts from the minds of children! "Hey Nanako!" I answered with a cheesy grin. "I've got a great ide-" I was interrupted by the doorbell.

If this is more drama I will punch it in the face.

Nanako followed me as I went to answer the door. It was Chie, apparently sharing my good mood.

"Oh, cool. You're home. If you're free today, wanna go somewhere? Yukiko's coming too."

I smiled wider. The universe. She finally gives me a break.

=High-ups say the universe is male, cutter.=

-... What? Shut up.-

"Sounds like fun." I answered. "Wanna come with, Nanako?"

The look of shock on her face was adorable. "Huh? I-I can come?"

Chie didn't miss a beat despite the curveball I'd sent her way. "Yeah. Heh... of course you can!"

As Nanako was getting ready to go I took the opportunity to apologise to Chie for possibly messing up her plans and gave a very brief explanation that could be summed up as 'her dad is an asshole'.

"No worries." she reassured. "Besides, I actually... think it's kind of sweet you'd do this for her."

=She yer Jill?=

-My... what?-

=Yer Jill.=

-I don't know what that means.-

=Err, how to tell of it... Right. Well a Jack an' a Jill would do the deed an' the Jill'd squeeze out a brat. That clear it up?=

-... Demons still do... wait. I don't wanna know. And no, she's not my Jill.- Yet. Heh.

=Nice.=

"Helloooo? Seta-kun?"

Aww, dammit. -This is why I told you to shut up.- "Sorry. This guy uses some weird slang and I got distracted." I apologised, pointing to my head to indicate who I was talking about.

She looked curious. "Like what?"

"Like Jjjjjjj-" -_CRAP!_ Give me another that starts with J!-

=You wanted me to shut up.=

-_NOW!_-

=Heheh. Just like to see ya sweat, berk. 'Jink'. It means money.=

"-jjjink, for example." I finished with a little (nervous) laughter.

"Jjjjjjink? You're right. That's pretty weird."

More laughter. "Right. Heheh. Nanako, uhh, we ready to go?"

"Mhmm. Where're we going?"

My grin came back. "Well if I could make a suggestion..."

* * *

Junes. It _had_ to be Junes.

We met up with Yukiko as promised and ran into Yosuke as he was starting his break. We all decided to just hang around the food court. Laid back and a little boring but you wouldn't know it to look at Nanako.

"Why'd you bring poor Nanako-chan to a place like this on Golden Week?" Yosuke asked.

"Where else is there to go?" Chie answered rhetorically.

"I _love_ Junes!" Nanako beamed before her mood seemed to sour a little. "But we were supposed to go on a real trip somewhere. We were going to make boxed lunches..."

"Wow! You can make boxed lunches, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko asked excitedly.

Silence. Then Nanako looked at me. Then everyone was looking at me.

"Oh, so you're the family cook?" Chie guessed. "Pretty impressive, 'big bro'!"

"Big... bro." Nanako echoed as she stared at me.

Yosuke picked up the conversation again. "Whoa, you can cook? Well, you do seem to be great with your hands- Um, never mind."

My facial expression conveyed my thoughts. _Dude. What._

"I''m a pretty good cook too, you know... Probably." Chie boasted unconvincingly. "If you'd asked I could've whipped up some boxed lunches as easy as pie. Yeah..."

"Uhh, lemme think about-_No_." Yosuke answered.

"What makes you think I can't cook? Let's have a cook-off and see for ourselves!"

"My my, doth the lady protest too much?" Note to self: Yosuke cannot pull off Shakespeare. "And hey, I never said I cooked. But I have this weird feeling... Like I'd win anyway."

"Ahaha, I can understand that." Yukiko agreed, apparently deciding Chie's boast was so unrealistic that friendship wasn't enough to convince her.

"What the- Yukiko!" Chie squeaked.

"Here. Nanako-chan can be our judge." Yosuke suggested. "I bet we'll make something that ranks up there with your mom's cooking, Nanako-chan!"

Son of a bitch. I'm too far away to kick him.

Nanako lost her cheerful expression in an instant. "I don't have a mom... She died in an accident."

In lieu of kicking him, I settled for a glare that told him clearly that he'd pay for bringing that up. I don't care if he didn't know.

"I-i see... Um... Sorry, I didn't know..."

"It's okay." Nanako's smile came back, if a little more subdued. "Even if I don't have a mom, I have Dad with me. And now I have a brother too."

…

"And I'm having a lot of fun today!" she continued. "I love Junes!"

"Y-yeah? That's good!" Yosuke sighed in relief.

Don't look too relieved, asshole.

"We'll play with you anytime you want, Nanako-chan!" Chie offered.

Yukiko nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We should hang out more often."

"C'mon, Nanako-chan. Let's go get a soda." Yosuke suggested.

"Okay!"

Once the two of them were gone, Yukiko and Chie didn't have enough nice things to say about Nanako. "She's a strong girl."

"Yeah, she makes me feel like I'm the little kid here. That's it, I'm gonna go get something for Nanako-chan too!"

And thus I was left alone at the table.

Since I came to this town, I've helped three people understand their darker impulses and thwarted a murder attempt.

Somehow, I'm more proud of what I did today than any of that.

"Do you want something too?" I hadn't noticed Nanako came back to the table.

She's smiling again.

Yeah. Nothing else compares.

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Justice Arcana._

_

* * *

_{05/04/11: Wednesday}

* * *

Hahhhhh. What to do today...

_\_Pi pi pi pi!_\_

Phone call. Yosuke. I answered. _\_Yo, it's me!_\_

"Yo. What's up?"

_\_This might be kind of weird to ask after we hung out yesterday but do you wanna hang out again today?_\_

I shrugged. For no good reason. "Sure, why not."

_\_I'll see if I can find someone else to come along with us. Oh, hey, why don't you bring Nanako-chan with you? Let's all hang out together._\_

* * *

Of course Nanako was more than happy to come along. But I'm fairly certain she wasn't expecting the small crowd that was waiting for us. Daisuke, Kou, Yosuke and Dokuro all just standing around outside Junes.

"Yosuke, when you said you'd try to get more people I wasn't expecting a third of the football team."

"Yeah, I know right? I invited Juro too but he said he had something important to do today." he answered.

After some quick introductions, the six of us proceeded to just wander around Junes for a while making small talk. Not much else to do, really. Somehow, though, Yosuke and I managed to lead us all to the electronics department. Must be force of habit.

"Nanako-chan sure loves this place." Yosuke observed as Nanako looked around like everything she saw was a marvel.

"Who could blame her?" Kou asked rhetorically. "This place has everything. It's like a storehouse of magic." … Okay? "I can see why she likes it. Anyways, isn't she cute?"

… Not okay.

"I have a younger sister too." he continued. "I wish she was cute like Nanako-chan."

Hmm.

"I-i'm not cute..." Nanako objected for some reason before hiding behind me.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" Kou asked, apologetic.

I'm sure I'm missing something here.

""Don't worry. You're not cute." Daisuke... comforted? What the hell?

"That's going kinda far!" Kou objected.

"Are you stupid or something?" Yosuke asked.

I'm... gonna stay out of this one. Mostly because I have no idea what's going on in this conversation. Instead I knelt down to face Nanako at eye level. "Don't worry. They're all idiots. Except maybe Dokuro-kun over there."

"Hey!" Kou and Daisuke objected at the same time.

Yosuke argued the point. "How d'you know anyway? He hasn't even said anything."

"Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than open your mouth and prove it." I quoted. I forget who said it though.

Dokuro just grunted at me. He doesn't seem to say much at all, does he?

Nanako interrupted the argument before it could get worse. "B-big bro... That TV is huge..."

She was pointing at the TV we... make use of.

"I feel like if I watched sports on a TV like this, I'd get sucked into the screen." Daisuke observed with a chuckle.

"C-C'mon. Like that could happen." Yosuke is still a terrible liar.

Changing the subject before Yosuke says something stupid. "So... Anyone hungry?"

Agreements all around and a "Mmm" from Dokuro which counts as one I guess.

This is a weird day.

* * *

A/N: Once again, Seta has no idea what's coming. Those who do, rejoice. Everyone's favourite quadruped is soon to make his- sorry- _her_ debut.

In the meantime, I apologise for the delay on this one. It was tricky getting the characterisation right in this chapter. Seta is easy. He's my character and I know him best. But Nanako and Dojima? Dojima we see angry once and in some serious circumstances. And Nanako we never see angry because she has to be the cute, perfect angel all through the game.

Also I was on a caffeine crash. But it was mostly the character thing.

I am your **REVIEWS** come for thee! Surrender and thy passage shall be... quicker.

**Kjman456**: _A_ Serph is Seta's dad. Sure. As for Yukiko she doesn't really know how to fight yet and saying "Oh, by the way, Yukiko's been casting fire attacks this whole time" is a bit of a pacing killer. As the characters get to grips with what they're doing, so will I with writing fight scenes (I'd like to think those were okay even if they were kind of curbstomps though).

**Have a Little Feith**: Some Jacks do. Some don't. Though none of them seem to get rid of that laugh.

**Astrih Konnash**: I'm glad _someone_ played DDS. I haven't. Started the second one but it was incomprehensible.

**Happerry**: Would you believe I'm _still_ working on the Pixie stuff? I want to get it just right.

What part of **REVIEWS OVER** do ye not understand?

New game. Reviewer who recognises the review references gets an e-cookie.

Thanks for reading!


	21. What

{05/05/11: Thursday}

* * *

Golden Week continues. Hooray.

Everyone's got plans already. Boo.

So I have a day completely empty and no one to spend it with. Might as well run some errands while I've got time, I suppose. Maybe I'll head to the shopping district while I'm at it.

Daidara was grouchy when I showed up. Guess he expected he'd have a peaceful day today. He pretty much did anyway, though. Sold some crap to him and left. I didn't have enough to make some new gear.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

… Time doesn't flow in here. And I fused recently. And above all I'm supposed to be taking a break from the crazy.

"Sorry for wasting your time." Figuratively speaking. "I'll be leaving now."

No reaction from either of the residents. And now I'm back in the real world.

And I still have nothing to do.

I spotted the shrine down the street. It's been a while since I've been to a shrine. I mean I didn't visit them often before. Now that I know religion is garbage?

… But I knew that anyway, didn't I? I mean no one really believes the myths about Izanagi. And the philosophy of the myriad kami hasn't got much to do with that. Hell, I know for a fact that objects can have spiritual aspects to them.

…

It can't hurt, right? Besides, shrines are built to be places of peace. Of tranquillity. I could really go for some of that right now.

* * *

Wow. This place is more run down than I expected. Isn't this the only shrine in town?

Oh well. If I wanted to see a nice shrine I could've gone to Okina instead.

… Why didn't I do that again? Whatever. Prayer and reflection. Time to do all that good stuff.

=Company, cutter.=

-Eh?-

=You're bein' watched.=

-Hm?- I opened an eye, looked around but saw no one. But I could hear the sound of muffled footsteps.

… I'm officially creeped out now. Time to leave.

I turned to walk back to the shopping district but a howling sound from behind me made me pause.

Howling...

He couldn't be here... could he?

Not wanting to risk disembowelment for the sake of answering that question I started running but a small orange form dropped in front of me before I got very far.

… Is that...

… Is that a fox?

It howled at me as if in response. I can already tell I'm not gonna like where this is going.

So I've been confronted by a fox wearing a bib and holding an ema plaque in its mouth. What would be the most appropriate response here?

"Apparently the universe thought two days was enough of a break from the crazy. Soooo fuck it. Hi there, Fox-san. How are you today?"

Fox howled again before walking up to me and dropping the ema it was holding. I picked it up and noticed a leaf was attached to it. 'Please help Grandpa's legs get better. -Keita' was written on the ema. I looked back at the fox and it immediately darted away into the woods nearby.

I miss my shadow. Can he come back and torture me some more? At least with him I know where I stand.

=Look alive, cutter. More company.=

Oh, what fresh hell is this?

"Oh, not every day you see young'uns like you around here." It's just an old man. That's more of a relief than I could've imagined. "Nobody lives at this here shrine. I come by to tidy things up once in a while but lately my legs are so achy I just can't do it."

… Well of course! Of course an old man with dodgy legs visits the shrine right after I see an ema of a kid wishing for an old man's legs to get better! Why wouldn't that happen? For this is the land of magical coincidence! Where everyone shows up at exactly the right place and time! No matter how implausible and how is my brain not leaking out of my ears yet?

"Here. Take the stupid leaf, old man." I shoved the leaf into the old man's hand and collapsed into a sitting position on the steps of the shrine.

"What the-? Well you need to learn some manners, young man! I bet your parents-"

Oh, I fucking dare you to finish that sentence.

"-Hey wait!" Good call. "This leaf! Could it be...? Way back when, my grandmother always used to say a leaf shaped like that was the best kind of ache remedy out there! But how'd you get your hands on this? I didn't think you could find those in the mountains anymore."

And of course! The leaf just happened to be a magical leaf that can cure all wounds!

I can't take this anymore. I'm at my breaking point. Just let me go home and cry.

"Now let's see here..." The old man looked at the leaf for a couple of seconds. Maybe he'll smoke it. Or grind it up into a salve. Or...

Or he'll place it directly onto his leg.

Every doctor in the world just started crying. And none of them know why.

"Ooooh, I can feel it! It's working!" He hopped like a bunny to prove it. Really. "Amazing! The pain I've been feeling for who knows how long, it just up and vanished! I feel better than I have in years! You really helped me out, young man! I'm so grateful! Now I can go visit my grandson! I'd better pay thanks to the shrine for bringing us together like this!"

Just go away so I can mourn my sanity.

Oh, no time for that apparently. Because as soon as the old man left, the fox came back. Looking pleased with himself.

"Okay. So let me get this straight. You wanted that guy to get better." A howl. "So he would start cleaning up the shrine again." A growl. "No? So he would make an offering to the shrine?" A howl.

The fox ran around the corner and came back a few seconds later with a pile of leaves in its mouth, much like the one I gave the old man. It dropped them.

"... So you want to give me these leaves?" A growl. "Hmm. Trade them?" Howl. "For offerings." Growl. "... For getting other people to make offerings?" Howl.

I'm playing twenty questions with a fox.

**SMASH!**

Oh, fuck no.

_Thou art I and I art thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

Fuck you and your new bond.

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Hermit Arcana._

There are so many things wrong with my life, and yet somehow I keep adding to the list. I commune with foxes now!

* * *

"Umm... Big bro...?"

I was sitting in the living room drawing pictures of myself strangling foxes as a form of therapy...

=Don't see how that fits as therapy. More like a sign you've gone off the sodding deep, cutter.=

-… Uh... huh. Thanks for clearing that up, voice-in-my-head.- Anyway, Nanako looked like she wanted to say something. "Go ahead. You can ask me anything."

"Okay!" I didn't look up but she sounded more at ease. "Ummm... well... Are you an only child?"

=Hooo. Nice can of worms you opened there, cutter. Also, you snapped your pencil.=

Crap. Okay. Fake calm. "I-" The weak raspy sound of me trying to form words suggested I should clear my throat. "Aherm... I think so."

"Huh?"

Ahh, how to explain...

=Don't explain. And drop a compliment.=

… I've heard worse plans. "I probably was an only child. Not anymore though. 'Cos I have a little sister now, right?"

"Little sister... Hmhmhm!" She giggled to herself. -Nice save.-

=Yep.=

"A while ago, Dad told me that our family won't get any bigger. But now I have a big brother!"

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Justice Arcana._

_

* * *

_{05/06/11: Friday}

* * *

Friday... School... Ugh.

Yosuke seemed to share my opinion as he rolled up to me on his bike, moving as slowly as possible. Presumably to extend the time before he ended up on school grounds.

"Yo!" His voice remained at odds with his behaviour. Maybe I'm over-analysing. Maybe he's just scared of riding fast now. Can't blame him, really. "Dammit, I just fixed this thing. It's making squeaking sounds again."

...Okay. Not only did I over-analyse, I did it _twice_. I need to think less.

Would probably help with dealing with...

Foxes...

"Seta? Dude, are you listening to those damn voices again? You've gotta stop drifting off like that, man."

"Oh, sorry. Not their fault this time." I answered. "It's just been a really long week."

He smirked at me. "Heh. Only you could find a way to get stressed in your time off. Hey, by the way, sorry about the other day. You know, about what I said to Nanako-chan."

"Ohhh yeah." I punched him in the arm. "I almost forgot about that. You were too far away to kick at the time. Water under the bridge now."

"Ow! … Keh. Fine." It's great when people accept repercussions without complaint. "Y'know, Chie and Yukiko seem different lately. They're a lot closer." After what I heard from both their shadows, I'm not surprised.

Sorry Yukiko. But I'm gonna be stealing your 'prince'.

"Y'know, I was just curious but are you... Ehh, never mind. If we keep chatting we're gonna be late. Man, school's such a chore and now my bike's messed up too. Guess I'll have to bear it until I get my motorcycle license."

* * *

"Ugh, why do the holidays have to end so fast?" Chie whined as the usual four of us just hung around the classroom after school.

"At least they were peaceful." Yosuke mused.

"Speak for yourself." I grumbled.

Too quiet for him to hear, apparently. "I listened in on the housewives gossiping at Junes but it doesn't seem like anything happened. And I haven't heard about anyone disappearing suddenly either. Y'think Yukiko could've been the last?"

I sat back in my chair. "Wishful thinking. Two murders and an attempt at a third. No logical reason why. Almost no chance of getting caught. Why would they stop?"

"Hmm..." was all the response Chie gave.

Yukiko had more to say."I don't know. But we shouldn't relax as long as the culprit remains at large."

"If we only knew a little more about who the killer might be..." Yosuke trailed off.

"Short of breaking into the police station to find out what they're thinki- NO." I pointed a warning finger as soon as I saw Yosuke's eyes fly open at what was definitely _not_ a suggestion. "There's nothing we can do."

"Eh, it's no good fretting over it now. If someone does show up on the midnight channel then we'll deal with it." Ahh, Chie being level-headed. That's good to see.

… Now to mess with it. Heehee! "Yeah. Better to fret over other things. Like exams! So which of you are screwed?" I asked with a taunting grin on my face.

Yosuke glared at me. Answers that question, then. "I hate you so much right now. You had to go and bring that up."

"I wish I had Yukiko's gift for studying." Chie complained with a sigh. "Hey Yosuke, why don't you have Yukiko go over some of the material with you?"

"Hm? Oh, that's right. Yukiko's ranked at the top on every exam."... Every? Exam? "Maybe I should ask her for some private lessons."

"P-Private lessons!" Yukiko... squealed?

"Huh? What's wrong?" Yosuke asked. Fair question.

Then she slapped him. It was a good slap, too. Sound had a real snap to it. It was a snappy slap.

… What did I just think?

"Ow! What was that for? I'm just asking you to help me study!" Yosuke yelled. Again, Fair question.

"Oh! I'm sorry... You were talking about studying..."

… What the hell else could he have been talking about? Did you think he was asking for a lapdance or something?

"I thought it might have been an off-colour joke. Our inn has had some strange visitors lately..."

Aww, man. Now I feel bad. I might've been right.

"If you thought it was a joke then just shrug it off!" Yosuke yelled. Even if I might've been right, he's still right to be mad, I guess.

"Sorry. My hand moved without thinking." she apologised. Heheh. Been there.

"Thanks a lot, Chie. For bringing up the whole 'studying' thing." Yosuke grumbled.

"Eh? Me? It was Seta-kun who brought up the exams!" Chie defended.

"Yep!" I agreed, smiling. "It was more entertaining than I could've hoped. And here I thought today would suck."

* * *

Alright. Today I start the Chariot link in earnest. Good old social links. Giving me an excuse to hang out with cute girls.

=Preach it!=

Okay, now to figure out how to do this without being awkward... Ooh! Maybe I suggest we train together! That's something we have in common, right?

=Aye. Make it seem like work. Yer a regular Incubus, ain't ya.=

-... Aren't Incubus... Incubi? The demons that rape and impregnate women in their sleep?-

=Well... aye. But you try findin' a metaphor that works for people from other worlds. It's a sodding cakewalk is what it is.=

-... Again, isn't a cakewalk supposed to be-

=She's leavin', berk!=

Oh, crap. Uhmm, "Hey, Chie!" I called out before she could leave. "Want to, err, go train with me?"

=Heeheeheeho! That was terrible!=

-Shut up, asshat! You confused me and rushed me and... and shut up!-

"Sure!"

… Eh?

"C'mon. We'll go to the floodplain. It's usually pretty empty of people."

… Ha... Ha... -Hahahaha! Shows what you know, Jackie-boy! Hahaha!-

=Heh. Berk.=

* * *

"Hmmmm, this looks like a good spot." Chie turned to face me and started jogging on the spot. "You know, for training! Heheh."

Chie had dragged me to what seemed like the middle of nowhere. There were literally no people around anywhere.

Not that I'm complaining.

"I need to hone my kicking skills or I won't be able to use them in battle." she continued. "I tried practicing at home but my mom and dad yelled at me for putting a hole in the shoji."

"Call it luck you didn't put a hole through anything tougher to fix. Like a wall."

Chie laughed at the idea. "Oh, come on. I'm not that strong."

"You haven't noticed?" That's pretty surprising. Though I guess she's only been going up against Yosuke and shadows, so it's not impossible. "Okay. How could I demonstrate... Ah. That lamppost. That'll do." I walked up to said lamppost, grabbed hold with both hands and pulled.

And pulled.

Until ever so slightly, the metal started to bend.

I stopped before doing some serious damage to it. "Now I grant you you'll find some normal people who can do that too but none that have only been seriously training for three weeks. Personae make you stronger. As in _physically_ stronger."

Chie just stared at me for a couple of seconds. "... You know people have to pay for that, right?"

Not the reaction I was going for. "Uhh, yeah? That's why I didn't do any real damage."

She rolled her eyes. "Idiot." Then changed the subject. "Anyway, I still have to train. So let's train together! … No?" She suddenly looked hesitant.

"Sure. Sounds like fun."

And she was smiling again. "Yessss! Thanks, Seta-kun."

Annnd then she was looking down again. Some impressive mood swings going on here. "That thing... Y'know, from that time? I mean the shadow that came out of me. I feel pathetic knowing that's another 'me'. Makes me feel like I gotta work harder... Allright! Let's do it!" And now she looks excited. I give up. "Between you and me, we'll be unstoppable!"

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Chariot Arcana._

_\_Pi pi pi pi!_\_

Stupid phone with the stupid timing and the stupid stupid "Hello?"

_\_It's me._\_

Uncle. Awesome. Phone calls from him _always_ go great. _\_I got off work early today so come home as soon as you can... We need to have a talk._\_

* * *

A/N: Okay. If I always have chapters be about this long I can get them out more often. That work for you guys?

So Seta is... coping? Nah. Surviving? Not really. Being slowly driven insane by all the batshit stuff he deals with on a daily basis? Yeah, pretty much.

The lights in the sky are **REVIEWS**.

**Kjman456**: Neither of those. He might've gone to the grocery department but... seriously. What the hell are tater longs? Are they like tater tots but... long? I think that's what they were going for. Maybe.

**Astrih Konnash**: It's spelled 'cant'. No apostrophe. And I just like the lingo. 'Jackie-boy' seems to be gradually turning into Morte from Planescape Torment as a result, however. Not that that's a bad thing, right?

**IrishNinja456**: What's with the 456s? Maybe it's just a fun number. Whatever. I think you'll find Minato and Seta are both pretty angry characters in the FESverse. Minato just hides it better. Usually.

… I can't think of anything. Bah. I don't need to mark the end of reviews.

Thanks for reading.


	22. Hell Week

So Uncle wants to talk to me. Of course he does. Probably be a short conversation, too. Something along the lines of 'get the hell out of my house'.

=You kind of deserve it, cutter.=

-Debatable. I didn't say anything that wasn't true.-

… And he knows that. Or he would've at least yelled at me or something before he decided to hang up on me the other day.

=Or he doesn't want to toss his sibling's kid out on his ass.=

-That too.- So this is either gonna be a long and awkward conversation, or a long lecture that'll end up making me look immature and him like a bad parent.

… Which he is. But I bet he knows better than to try and take me down a peg. What with me being about ten pegs higher than most people, going down one won't make much difference.

=... D'you even hear yerself?=

-I try not to.- Still, I'm guessing it'll fall into some sort of middle ground. He'll try to have us talk it out like adults and end up ranting when I inevitably get him riled up.

* * *

"I'm home." I called out after shutting the front door.

… No adorable response. Possibly a bad sign.

Though upon walking into the living room, "Welcome home.", was the gravelly welcome I got from Uncle. "Why don't you take a seat. We've got some things to discuss."

I nodded, took the chair he was offering to his left and waited for him to start.

He took his time, looking for the best place to begin, I suspect. "If you're wondering, I asked Nanako to go to her room. She's grown... attached too you."

"... She called me 'big bro' didn't she?"

"How did that happen?" he asked.

"My friends and I took her to Junes on Tuesday. Someone made an implication and she seemed to like the idea. A lot. I don't think you quite get how alone she feels most of the time."

"And you do?" he asked, clearly not realising what he'd brought up.

"... Did you even _speak_ to them when they asked you to look after me? Did they not _mention_ that I haven't seen him for four years and her for even _longer_?" Need to stop now. "How about the fact that despite my living here for almost a month now, they haven't bothered to check in _even once_? Even just to check I made it here _alive_?" Why aren't I stopping?

"How do you know they haven't-"

"Because that's how this _works_. This is how it's _always_ worked. They dump me with someone for however long they need to, go off and do whatever they damn well please and when they're done they leave me with the next person on their _list. So, yeah. _I have _some_ idea what it's like to have parents who don't give a damn."

The silence was deafening and seemed to go on for several minutes, while Uncle just sat there sipping his coffee.

=You kind of unloaded on 'im there, cutter.=

-I tried to stop. You heard me try to stop.-

=Aye. Then he prodded ya again. Looks like ya underestimated 'im.=

-I did?... I did. Shit, he played me, didn't he?-

=Like Blackjack plays the sousaphone.=

"Feeling better?" Uncle finally asked, noticing I was impossibly at ease after unloading at him like that.

I sighed. "Not in the slightest. Both because you just detectived me and because it's not so easy to feel better about something like... _that_."

"Ah. I can imagine."

"_No_. No, you really can't. But Nanako certainly can which brings us back to the topic at hand." And away from talking about me. For which I'm thankful.

He paused. "What do you think the topic at hand is, exactly?"

Huh? "Err, Nanako? What with you making her cry and my basically calling you a bad parent and all, I figured..."

"No, Seta. What I wanted to talk about was you."

This... This is not how this conversation was supposed to go.

"I have to give you credit." he continued. "At first I had no idea. You wear that 'upstanding young man' mask pretty well, even if there was an edge to your voice when you talked about your parents."

"Okay, you can stop detectiving me now." I stated, probably with the same edge to my voice as the one he's talking about.

He wasn't done. "But when you got arrested? Who gets angry enough from an overheard conversation that they mouth off at the detective that bailed them out of trouble? Then the thing on the phone basically told me everything I needed to know to get you talking."

"And we did that." I interrupted while getting to my feet. "We talked. It was great in a 'someone please strangle me to save me from this conversation' kind of way. But here's the dark of it: My problems are _not_ your problems. They", I pointed in a random direction to indicate my parents who could be in that or any other direction for all I know, "are uniquely capable of fixing my problems but don't seem to be interested in doing it. So why you should suddenly feel it's your duty to help me I have no idea. Go be a dad to Nanako." I headed for the stairs.

"So why should you suddenly feel like it's your duty to help Nanako?"

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Turning my words against me? Were you expecting me to say 'because she's family' or something? I've known for a long time how little that word means. No. She deserves it, that's why. She deserves to live a happy life and know that her dad loves her and will always be there for her."

**SMASH!**

_Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Hierophant Arcana._

Ohhhh, come on. I rant at the man like five times and I still manage to make one of these things?

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Hierophant Arcana._

… Okay? First time that's happened.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Justice Arcana._

I sighed. "Nanako, it's not nice to eavesdrop!" I shouted to her, wherever she was.

The sound of muffled footsteps let me know she heard.

Why aren't I more angry at him for this? Butting into my life when he has no business doing that, I should be throwing things by now.

But he cared enough to try to help... That's rare at best. Maybe I should...

No. Storming off was right. Nanako should come first. Yeah.

… Yeah.

* * *

{05/07/11: Saturday}

* * *

"Alllllright! Today's the day!"

Chie. Enthusiastic as always. We were training by the river again. Though now that I think about it we didn't actually train yesterday.

What're we supposed to be training, anyway?

=Out loud, cutter.=

-Oh, right. Getting too used to conversations in my head.-

… -That's probably bad.-

=I s'pose.=

"What're w- Nanako?"

"Huh?" Nanako was as confused to see us as I was to see her.

"Oh, Nanako-chan!" Chie didn't seem fazed, though.

Probably because she doesn't know Nanako's school is in the exact opposite direction of where she came from. "What're you doing all the way out here, Nanako?"

"I was walking with my friends and walked too far by accident." was her sheepish response. "What're you guys doing here?"

… Ah. Okay, can't say training... Maybe...

"Hm? Training, of course!" Chie answered before I could stop her.

I resisted the urge to palm my face. Okay. Not gonna bail you out of this one. You lie your own way out.

"Training... Who are you fighting with, Chie?" Nanako queried, putting on an adorable detective face.

=Adorable detective face?=

-It's like a normal detective face. Except it's Nanako doing it.-

"Hmmm... Myself... I guess...?"

I snickered to myself before trying to make it look like a coughing fit when they noticed. It worked on Nanako. Bonus points for it working on the only person it needed to work on.

"Oh, A grasshopper!" Nanako pointed, surprisingly unperturbed.

Can't say that about Chie though. "HUH? N-no way! Wh-where?"

"It just landed on your back."

...

I let out an impressed whistle. "Look at her go."

"Getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff getitoff AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

=Gonna help?=

-Nah. Funnier this way.-

=Aye.=

Eventually Nanako managed to catch the grasshopper and get it off of Chie. "You don't like grasshoppers?"

"I'm no good with anything with thin, jointed legs! Or anything creepy or squirmy!" Chie answered breathlessly, trying to calm herself down. And failing. "Ack! Now I can't get 'em out of my mind! I can't stand those things!"

"But they're cute..."

"Heh. You're like Yukiko." Chie observed at seeing Nanako's confusion. "She's fine around bugs. But me, I totally lose it... Kinda funny, huh?"

"I think it's cute." And hilarious.

"Uh... hey! Wh-what're you saying!"

Sheesh. I'm surprised she's so shy.

=Hmhm.=

-What?-

=Nothin'. Not a thing.=

"A lot of kids in my class don't like bugs." Nanako said, oblivious to what Chie and I were really saying. "It's not just you. Don't worry!"

"Oh, Nanako-chan! You don't know how happy that makes me. Thanks!" I wonder if she realises Nanako's classmates are five. "C'mon. You wanna train too? Let's start with form. I'll teach you a kata..."

And already she's a better teacher than the principal.

Nanako only stayed for a little while. Wouldn't want her to be wandering around town at night.

Chie turned to me after Nanako left. "I'm gonna get over my fear of bugs. I don't wanna look like a sissy in front of Nanako-chan! All I have to do is think of 'em as shadows. Then I could grab a whole fistful!"

Aww, well that was fun while it lasted. Looks like I'll have to find comedy somewhere else.

"I-I just gave myself goosebumps..." Or not. "G-getting used to bugs may take a while, but I won't lose to shadows!"

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Chariot Arcana._

That I will.

* * *

{05/08/11: Sunday}

* * *

I spent the day training with Chie again. Well, actually a fair amount of the day was just chatting about random stuff so... I'd call that progress.

Somehow I feel like I'm forgetting something.

"Whew. Let's call it a day." Chie suggested.

Then an asshole walked up to us.

Wait, no. That's weird for me to make a snap judgement of someone just like that. Why'd I do that?

"Huh? Hey, Chie. Whatcha doing?"

"T-Takeshi?" She seemed stunned for a second but quickly regained her composure. "W-well... training! I'm working out!"

"Huh?" Asshole responded. No wait, I did it again! Argh! "When are you gonna graduate to being king of the hill?"

"K-king of the hill?" Chie didn't seem to understand either. That's good, I think.

"In kindergarten it was the Runt Gang, in elementary school you were an Ally of Justice. Middle school it was the Vanguards of the Lunch Revolution, wasn't it?" Okay. Snap judgement proven correct. "Haha, so... what is it now? You a Protector of Earth's Peace?"

Like hell! She's in the Investigation Team, bitch! I'm so gonna tear this guy a new one-

=Stop!=

-Nope.-

=Words first! She'll respect you for it and hate 'im more if he keeps goin'.=

-Stupid reasonable suggestions being reasonable...- "Knock it off, would ya?"

"Huh?... Wait, what are you saying?"

Ass monkey ignored Chie's panic to answer me. "Oh, uhhh...! I didn't mean that in a mean way." Yeah, apologise harder. Maybe I'll let you walk away with both legs. "I'm Takeshi Kouno. I was with Chie up until middle school. I'm not gonna get in you guys' way." Damn right you're... Wait, what?

… No, that's right, I meant it that way too! Back off, ass muncher! She's mine!

"Oh, how's Yukiko-san doing? Does she have a boyfriend yet?"

"... She's fine, and I don't think so."

"I see. Cool, cool. She still good looking? Maybe I should try for her aga- Hey, hey! What are you doing?"

Takeshi's sudden terror was probably because my face was inches away from his before he'd noticed I'd moved. "Leave, learn some manners and if you come back, hope I'm in a good mood. Otherwise you may not be allowed time to show off your new-found politeness. Understood?"

"H-hey, what the hell is wrong with-"

"Free lesson. Handshake. Western tradition when meeting new people and a way to seal an agreement." I grabbed his left hand with mine and squeezed with about two thirds of my strength. I heard a quiet snap and his eyes started to water. This guy clearly hasn't been getting his calcium if something broke with just that. "Understood?" I asked again as I released his hand.

Running away was a good answer.

=Still is, cutter!=

-Huh?- "Tomoe!"

Oooooh shit. Switch from Titan switch from Titan switch from-

=Too late.=

"Huagh!" An ice blast hit my square in the back and knocked me to the ground.

"Why did you _do_ that? Sure he was being rude but he didn't deserve... Just stay away from me, Seta!"

…

I guess she left.

**SMASH!**

_Thou hast reversed the Chariot Arcana. Until this wrong is righted, thou shalt not have our blessing._

_

* * *

_…

=It's getting' dark, cutter. Was a shock but you should get back to yer case, no?=

-...Case?-

=Home.=

-Ah... Yeah. I guess you're right. I'll need to stop by the Velvet Room though. She left me with a pretty bad injury and I have no healing.-

…

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"Hey, Igor. You said I can get personae from the compendium, right?" I asked.

"Indeed. For a nominal fee you can retrieve any persona registered within the compendium." Margaret answered for him.

"Fair enough. Can I get Pixie back then?"

The two of them looked at each other. "That persona is unavailable." Igor answered.

"Huh? But you just said-"

"Yes. That particular persona is currently unavailable due to special circumstances. However, you can retrieve any other persona from the compendium at your leisure."

"...Cheapest one with a healing skill then."

"Apsaras." I summoned, using a healing skill to fix my back. I could already feel it working.

"I suspect you are already aware of this", Igor began, "but a reversed social link is not permanently in that state. It is still possible for you to repair it. However, taking to long to do so may result in the link becoming broken. If this occurs..."

"I'm screwed. I won't let it come to that. Thanks Igor."

"Farewell."

* * *

{05/09/11: Monday}

* * *

First exam day. Exams were easy enough.

But neither Chie or Yukiko will even look at me.

Dammit, how am I supposed to fix this if she won't even talk to me? And why do I still feel like I'm forgetting some-

"SETA SOUJI!"

AHHH! Demon attack! Everyone run for cover!

"YOU HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING YOUR TRAINING!" the principal boomed in what was clearly his 'I'm gonna mess you up good' voice.

"Ahh, I, ahh, err-" Oh shit oh shit oh shit!

"We will make up for your negligence... WITH FIVE HOUR TRAINING SESSIONS EVERY DAY THIS WEEK!"

Wha? He can't be serious! "On exam week? Five hours? Are you trying to kill me?"

"NO! Maybe. POSSIBLY! YOU WILL EITHER DIE OR IT WILL FORGE YOU INTO ONE OF THE GREATEST YOUNG SWORDSMEN THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! PREPARE YOURSELF!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

"Welcome home! You're home really late today, big bro!"

"Nanako, if an old man offers to teach you how to wield a sword, SAY NO! SAY NO AND RUN AS FAR AND FAST AS YOU CAN!"

* * *

{05/10/11: Tuesday}

* * *

Got to run. Got to hide. Principal will kill me. Got to run. Got to hide. Principal will kill- "Chie?"

I found Chie sitting on the roof. Unsurprisingly, she stood up to leave as soon as she heard my voice. "Look, at least let my try to say I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Do you even know why you're apologising?" she asked, glaring at me.

"Because I went too far. He was being... He _was_ an asshole and I wanted to call him on it but I ended up hurting him as well and that was wrong and I'm sorry."

"Your right! It was a cruel thing to do even if he was being a jerk!" She paused. "But... That wasn't why I was mad at you."

… Eh? "It wasn't?"

She sighed and sat back down so I did the same. "No... I'm not even sure I _had_ a good reason. Takeshi and me... We were close when we were younger. We were kind of inseparable. People sometimes thought we were a couple."

"You had a crush on him.", I guessed. She got up to leave again. "Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll stay quiet. Please don't go."

She sighed but didn't sit back down. "If you _must_ know, 'Ace Detective', I might have... liked him... a little. But he was never... you know..." I stayed quiet. I'm not stupid. Usually. "Anyway, maybe that's why... I dunno."

"I'm sorry."

"Huh? What for? I just said you don't have anything else to apologise for."

I raised a finger on one hand. "First, that your first crush was such an asshole." A second finger. "Second, that I hurt the guy you... liked." A third finger. "Third, that I don't regret doing it anymore."

"You know the last one kind of makes you a jerk too, right?"

"Nah. I'm just... overeager to bring justice to the world. Yeah."

She rolled her eyes. "Idiot." and pushed me over.

**SMASH!**

_Thou hast restored a reversed bond. Thou shalt once again be blessed when creating Personae of the Chariot Arcana._

Woo!

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Chariot Arcana._

Na-na-na-na! Woo!

I suddenly heard a muffled yet obviously loud voice. "SETA SOUJI! I WILL FIND YOU! YOUR RECALCITRANCE WILL ONLY LEAD YOU TO _FURTHER_ SUFFERING!"

"He's up here!" I looked at Chie. Horror plain on my face. "Call it even.", she stated clearly. Then opened the door for the principal.

-I could probably survive jumping off a building by now, right?-

* * *

{05/11/11: Wednesday}

* * *

"Wahahhhhhhhhh! I don't wanna _die!_"

* * *

{05/12/11: Thursday}

* * *

"Why are we meeting up in the basement?" Yosuke asked in an all too loud voice.

"Seta's hiding from the principal again." Chie snickered.

"Why, yes I am, Chie. I bribed the janitor 5000 yen to let me hide in the basement storeroom. And I'd appreciate it if you guys wouldn't waste my investment and _keep your voices down_!" I requested in an angry whisper.

"Why did you invite us all here if you wanted to stay hidden?" Yukiko asked.

"What, just because a terrifying old man is trying to kill me my social life has to suffer?"

"Well at least exams are over. That's gotta be some kinda relief, right?" Yosuke offered.

"Oh, I passed those easy. Flying colours. Was never a concern."

"... I'm gonna go find the principal." Yosuke announced.

I dived on him before he could move. "No, no, no! Please! Please don't do that! You wouldn't want your best buddy to die, right? Right?"

"Quiet down!" Chie shushed me. "What did you put for number seven? The one about what 'that' referred to in a sentence?"

"Um... I put 'her sorrowful expression'." Yukiko answered.

"Oh, crap! Then I got it wrong! Alright, I'm giving up on composition. I'm gonna bet it all on geography! What did you pick for the tallest mountain in the solar system?" Chie asked, turning to me as I was still trying to disentangle myself from Yosuke.

"Olympus Mons."

"Oh, seriously? I chose the wrong one."

"I picked that one too." Yukiko added.

Yosuke looked dejected. "You too? Then it's probably the right ans- Seta, would you get offa me already?"

"I'm trying! You're on my jacket!"

"SETA SOUJI! WHERE DO YOU HIDE YOURSELF? A TRUE WARRIOR NEVER FLEES FROM BATTLE!"

"You know, for an old guy, he has a powerful voice." Yosuke observed.

Too loudly.

"SO THIS IS THE HOLE INTO WHICH YOU HAVE CRAWLED, SETA SOUJI! YOU WILL FOLLOW OR YOU WILL MEET YOUR END RIGHT HERE."

I started crying, and I'm not ashamed of that fact.

* * *

{05/13/11: Friday}

* * *

"Ebihara-san?"

"Oh, _great_. It's _you_. What can I do for you, 'master'." Ai responded with more sarcasm than I've ever heard in only two sentences.

"Uhh, 'master'?"

"Well apparently I'm your slave, aren't I?" she spat.

… Putting that very distracting thought aside for the moment. "No. Just be the team manager like you agreed. That means the two of us have to go somewhere tomorrow. Detarame High. We're gonna check out the opposition for next week's game."

"... Will it get me out of class early?"

"Officially, no. But I'll be covering for you. Worst case, it's my ass on the line, not yours." Hooray.

An exasperated sigh. "Fine. I'll meet you at the train station."

"Or I'll meet you outside of your classroom after second period." I countered.

"Geez. It's almost like you don't trust me."

"Can't imagine why."

* * *

A/N: Drama, linking, drama, comedy, drama, comedy, this chapter is really all over the place, huh? I'd have liked to go into more detail for why the Dojima conversation went the way it did but since we only get Seta's perspective, well... If you guys really want to know I might go over it in the next chapter's notes. It probably won't come up in the story proper.

And Seta actually reversed a link! Very briefly, granted, but it happened. I hope that seemed genuine. It was a spur of the moment decision and hope it was a good one. Beta seems to have vanished mysteriously so I don't have someone to tell me 'no' right now.

As for 'history's strongest disciple Seta' … I just kinda thought that was funny. But as that goes away, the football team comes back.

And so does... THE MAIN PLOT! HOLY CRAPPLES!

I throw **REVIEWS **into the well.

**Kisdota-etc**: You try having your perception of reality challenged at every turn. You'd probably be a bit crabby too.

**Patcheresu**: Neh-nehhhh, neh-nehhhh nehhhh, neh-neh neh-neh nehhhh-nehhhh, neh ne-neh neh neh nehhhhhhhh. … It's really hard to recreate that theme with text. Unless you just type out the notes, I guess.

That's all I got responses for. Be prepared for a long wait on the next chapter since I'm expecting Dragon Age 2 in the post tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!


	23. Football

"I am impressed, Seta Souji."

The principal and I had just finished our last training session of the week. This makes no sense. He doesn't praise you. He tells you what to do to fix whatever it is you're doing wrong. And to his eyes, you're _always_ doing something wrong.

So why is he praising me?

"Despite these marathon training sessions being held on the same week as your exams, you have not broken from the stress."

"The running and hiding doesn't count, then?" I asked.

"That was also a part of your training. Unnecessary for my goals but potentially useful for yours, whatever they may be. There will always be opponents too powerful to face in fair combat. Avoiding confrontation with these opponents is an important part of survival in hostile locations."

His guesses at my motives are too close for comfort.

=Nah. He just thinks you're a basher is all. Rough type.=

-Still not a good way for people to think of me.- "Hey, how do you think I'm spending my time, principal?" I asked him with a false laugh.

"You wished to learn how to fight. Thus, you wish to fight. Your attempts at deception are pointless as I knew this from the start and still agreed to teach you. Do not take me for a fool."

… Right. "So you've been teaching me to wield swords even though you have no idea of my reasons or character... Mind if I ask why?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment. "If you're going to do something, do it well. And at least this way I get something out of it."

"And you're still not going to tell me what that 'something' is, I assume?"

"Indeed not. When you need to know, you will know."

Does everything this guy says have to be so damn cryptic?

Least he's stopped yelling at me.

* * *

I hate the local news reporters. So much. Then again, they do seem to be reporting some interesting stuff tonight. Something about biker gangs. Not that I'm bored or anything. It's just nice to hear about mundane problems once in a while.

_\_The hell are you punks doing here?_\_ Oh, sweet! Is he gonna attack the reporters?

"That voice..." Uncle spoke, looking up from his newspaper.

_\_This ain't a show! Get bent!_\_

"Still up to the same old tricks."

"Do you know him, Dad?" Nanako asked.

"Mmm, well I know him through work. His name's Kanji Tatsumi. He's been a hellraiser since middle school when he beat down some visiting students having a brawl on the floodplain." Wait, why does that sound familiar... "I thought he got into high school and started attending classes. Ugh. That blur is pointless. It's completely obvious who he is!", Uncle complained, waving his hand at the screen. "His family runs a textile shop in the shopping district. From what I understand, he crushes biker gangs because the noise keeps his mother up at night. It's a nice gesture but he's too violent. At this rate his mother'll have to apologise again."

* * *

{05/14/11: Saturday}

* * *

Okay. What was it that Yumi taught me? Breathe. Calm. Remember to enunciate. And sell it. Three.

Two.

One.

And _action!_

I tore open the sliding door to Ai's classroom and put on my best horrified face. "Ebihara-san! It's terrible!" I wailed.

"Uh? Eh? Souji? What the hell are you-" Good. She's really surprised. Perfect.

"I just heard from Kumi-chan! Your adorable little dog, Fluffles, she... Oh, I can't bear to say it... She's passed on!"

"Who the... Oh... Oh! Oh no! My poor little friend! She was my everything! I cant' believe this!" Holy crap. She can even fake tears. She should be in the drama club.

"Please, sensei! Could Ebihara-san please be excused from class so she may deal with this unbelievable tragedy?"

=A little much, don't you think?=

"Class?" Eh? Kondo is the teacher?

"No sale." about two thirds of the class answered in unison. How did they do that? And say the exact same thing?

"Sorry, Souji-kun. She's used that excuse three times already. Also your acting was a little hammy. Just saying. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to teaching English."

Dammit. "Well since you're the teacher, Kondo-sensei, I may as well come clean. We were going to go to see our opponents for next week's game. Gather information, y'know? Good intel is the foundation of strategy, right?"

He seemed to consider his options for a moment. "Bring back video by the end of practice today and you can go. If you don't, summer classes will be mandatory for both of you. Got it?"

"That seems... harsh." I observed.

"We're running out of punishments for her skipping school." he answered.

As Ai was gathering her stuff I felt compelled to ask. "So... If she hadn't used that excuse before... Would you have-?"

"_Go_."

"Going, sir. Thank you sir."

* * *

The train ride to Detarame was silent.

Until "So..." Ai began. "... 'Fluffles'?"

"It's a good name for a dog. And you seem the type to like fluffy animals."

"I prefer cats."

… Back to silence.

* * *

So this is Detarame High, huh? Looks better than our school. Might be the colour scheme. Grey on grey on grey just makes anything look miserable. While this place seems to have a fondness for... Purple. An odd choice of colour for school buildings but there it is.

On the other hand, if there was an award for 'funkiest school in Japan', this would be it. "Come on. Let's find the football field."

Behind the main building we found it. Much fancier than ours. I guess they're getting more support from the faculty for their team. "Lucky timing." I noted. "We got here just before the school day ended. They'll be getting ready for practice around now."

"So what're we supposed to be doing, exactly?" Ai asked me, disinterested. Just trying to pass the time, probably.

"We watch the other team practice. See what their strengths are, look for weaknesses we can exploit and ideally, not get caught doing it."

"Why does it matter if we get caught?"

"Well... It's not exactly against the rules but it's seen as kind of rude. But any team worth its salt will do it regardless. After all, it's kind of rude to punch someone in the face and that'll happen often enough in the match next week, right?" I shrugged.

"Ooh... I'm kind of looking forward to it now." Ai cooed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really! I wanna see you get punched in the face!"

… =You kind of-=

-Walked into that. Yeah.-

It wasn't a long wait until the team came out and... "... Holy carp."

"Huh?"

"Well... It looks like you might get your wish, Ai-chan." I admitted.

"Who the hell is 'Ai-chan'?" she hissed as she slapped the back of my head.

After we were done at the school there was still some time left before the next train back to Inaba. Ai decided to do some shopping in the meantime.

… Moon... Don't have that one yet. Let's see if we can make it happen.

* * *

"Ahhh, this feels good." Ai breathed. "Knowing everyone was stuck in school while we were out here makes it feel great to be here... Even considering the circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

"You."

=You need to stop doing that, cutter.=

-Nah. I think she enjoys being a smartass. I know I do.-

"Don't get me wrong." she continued. "It's not like I do this kind of thing all the time. Since they started tracking my attendance and behaviour, I've been a good girl." She looked away before changing the subject. "Let's go. We'll start with clothes, then jewellery and shoes, maybe some cell phone stuff if there's time."

… Not like I have money to burn. "Sure. Why not."

"Of course you will. Why else would you be here?" She makes a good point, even if she's missing my intent. "Anyway, time's a'wasting."

(_45 minutes later_)

So... much... crap. What the hell is she gonna do with all this stuff? She bought three cell phone cases! _Three!_

"It's nice to have a personal servant! I can buy so much more this way." she grinned.

I wonder if she even remembers I've been blackmailing her. "Had some money to burn, then?" I asked.

"I guess you could call my family 'new money'. We may not have status or history but we do have money. My daddy made a fortune in land speculation."

So this is how I might've turned out if Dad had given me spending money... I don't know how to feel about that.

=Yeah you do.=

Stupid mind-reading demons... -Fine. Point in his favour. One. With 217 against. Happy now?-

=Not especially. Why should I care if you're honest with yourself?=

-Tch. Asshole.-

"We better get going or we won't make it back before practice ends, right?" She paused. "... You know what though? I had more fun today than usual. You're different from the others. I think I'll keep you around."

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Moon Arcana._

Great news for whenever I get one.

"Are you coming or what?"

* * *

"Yo, Souji-kun! Ebihara-san! You're back early!" Kondo yelled to us as we got to our football field. "Get anything good?"

"We got a projector anywhere? Be best if we show everyone at once, right? So the team knows what it's up against?" I asked.

"Sure. We'll be done soon. Set up in the 1-1 classroom." he suggested.

(_30 minutes later_)

A swagger stick. Kondo-sensei had... a swagger stick. This is so badass. "Ahem. Well gentlemen." I nodded to Ai to put up the first photo. As it came up I swung the pointer at the projected photo; a shot of the full Detarame team. "This is your opponent. They are in a similar position to us. Not enough players to fill both defense and offense separately. And they have no experience in a proper game. This", I continued as I nodded at Ai again, "is their running back. He is quick. But not as quick as he should be if he's the running back. On the other hand, his size will be beneficial in defense."

"This", next photo, "is their quarterback. Good but nothing special. Speaking objectively, I'm better. This", next photo, "is one of their receivers. The other is barely capable but this guy could really do some damage if we let him. But he won't be our biggest problem."

Another nod to Ai showed the last photo. "Their line." I let the murmurs die down before continuing. "These guys, I suspect, are why they have a team at all. A massive wall of pure power that could literally walk over anything they come across. Only three members of our team have a chance of standing up to that line. Me which is of no benefit, Yosuke who will be our centre for offense and Dokuro-kun who will be our centre for defense. I don't mean this as an insult to the rest of you but you can't handle these guys. Not yet."

"Well what's the alternative?" Daisuke asked, hand raised.

"Offense it won't matter much. Hold them for a few seconds we can keep moving forward. Defense I'll be joining the line. I don't think either side can be fully stopped in this game. Our skilled players outmatch theirs while their line smashes through ours."

"So you're saying it'll come down to who scores the last touchdown, then?" Kondo theorised.

"Absolutely not." I gave Ai the signal to shut off the projector and I removed the screen for it, revealing the board behind it. "Conversions will kill us in this game. We can go for a point with a kick but going for a conversion will be difficult at best and probably not worth the risk. While they can go for the two points every time and probably succeed." The board showed a demonstration of my explanation with a best-case scenario where Detarame would catch up one point at a time until they had a constant lead.

I could already tell who knew where I was going. Kondo, Juro and the other receiver (I need to learn names) all seemed to come to the same idea at once. "Interception." Juro said aloud.

"Give that man a cigar! Yes. We steal the ball while they're on offense. We manage a touchdown from it once, we might hold off their pursuit until the end of the match. Twice, the gap might be too wide for them to recover from it. Any questions?"

Yosuke raised his hand. "Why was I in your top three?"

"Trust me, you're in there. I'd've thought you'd have noticed already. Next?"

Yosuke again. "Okay, but I'm still not number one. So why isn't Dokuro-kun the centre?"

"Simple. Other positions will get to slack off a little depending on the play. But the centre will almost always have to face their opponent at full strength. That's tiring. If Dokuro-kun were centre for both offense and defense, he might tire before the end of the match and the line would collapse. Furthermore, the centre offense has to handle the snap, getting the ball to me. Has to be someone I trust. That's what we'll be practicing on Tuesday."

"Monday." Kondo interrupted. "That way we get a last practice in and a rest day before the match on Wednesday."

"Right, Monday. Thanks Kondo-sensei. Any more questions?" Silence. "Good. I'll see you guys on Monday."

* * *

… Why the hell is there grass in the fridge?

=Maybe it's ain't grass. Weird food?=

-Somehow I doubt it.-

=... Dare you to eat it.=

-Eat what? Grass? Fuck no!-

=Come onnn. What'll it hurt you, eh? You've dealt with worse, no?=

-I've dealt with worse than having my hand chopped off too. Doesn't mean I'm doing that.-

=Come onnn.=

-No.-

=Come _onnnn_.=

-No!-

=Come _onnnnnnn _oh you're so boring.=

-Guilty. Now shut up Jackie-boy. I'm not eating grass.-

* * *

And here I was hoping for a longer break. Looks like the midnight channel really is on tonight. So whose hell am I walking into this time?

Okay. Jacket over the shoulders. Looks like the school jacket. Blond, maybe? Hm. I should call Yosuke.

"Yo."

_\_Oh, it's you, Seta. I was just about to call you! So that was a guy, right? I wish I could tell what he looked like._\_

"It's bad timing. He was wearing our school jacket so we could've looked around the school for a blond guy."

_\_Let's all get together and talk about it tomorrow. Maybe the girls recognised him._\_

"Maybe. Okay. See you tomorrow."

* * *

{05/15/11: Sunday}

* * *

"Ahem. We will now hold a meeting on our investigation of the serial kidnapping-slash-murder case here in Inaba."

… "Yosuke what the hell are you doing." I asked, deadpan.

"Dude, take a breath!"

"Ooh, does that make this our special headquarters?" Yukiko asked, excited by how 'official' Yosuke was being about the whole thing.

"Yes! Exactly. Nicely put, Yukiko."

"Special headquarters... It does have a nice ring to it." Oh, Chie. Not you too!

"So", changing the topic as quickly as possible, "did either of you recognise who it was? So far we've got high schooler, guy, maybe blond. Any ideas?"

"Sorry. I can't think of anyone... Wait! There's that guy that hangs around the shoe lockers in the school." Chie suggested. "But his hair's more gold than blond."

"I'm sorry, I don't know." Yukiko apologised.

"Well, at least we know he hasn't been taken yet, whoever he is. We might still have time." I pointed out. "If we can figure it out before he gets thrown in, we can stop it from happening."

"I guess we can only hope we have more time." Yosuke added.

* * *

I spent the rest of the day with Chie. Nothing special happened, though.

Midnight channel again. Oh, I can see his face!

… Not that it matters. Bleach blond hair. Bullet necklace. It's Kanji whats-his-name. How did I not realise before? The hair was a dead giveaway!

Maybe I'm still slow because of the week I've had. Yeah. Blame it on that.

_\_Pi pi pi p!_\_

I answered. "It's Kanji whats-his-name."

_\_ Yeah, I think so too. I knew I saw him somewhere! He was on that special news report!_\_

"My uncle even told me he was a high-schooler. I should've realised last night." Wait... News report... "I have a new theory."

_\_Oh yeah?_\_

"We'll get together tomorrow and talk it through. It's still a work in progress anyway."

_\_Yeah, okay. Oh, I almost forgot... It's kind of off-subject but so long as you're on the line, mind if I ask you something? It's something I've been meaning to ask for a while. So... What do you think about Yukiko and Chie? I mean, let's not mince words: Which one's your type?_\_

=Pfft. Like it's even a question.=

"Shhh- Ahh. Sorry. Chie. And my 'guests' have been giving me shit about it from day one."

_\_Heh. Seriously? Man, some people have no sense of privacy, am I right?_\_

"Absolutely."

_\_Still, I guess I see the appeal. Plus you're both weird about steak._\_

"It is _not weird _to love steak!"

_\_Yeah, sure whatever. Anyway, don't worry. This is just between you and me. See you tomorrow._\_

* * *

A/N: So over a month, huh? Fun story behind it. Dragon Age 2. Game is awesome. Then my 360 broke. Well that's good, right? Removes a distraction so I can get back to writing. Then THE NEXT DAY, my laptop broke. So I spent all my money replacing it. So then _I _was broke. Le sigh. Oh, then my internet died for a while.

Then there was my planning snafu. 'Meh, doesn't matter when the football game happens. I'll pick a random day.' So I picked a day right in the middle of the Kanji kidnapping. Genius move. So I had to plan around that.

But SUCCESS! Here's the chapter. And I also managed to finish two chapters of the side stories. So I'll start posting those. First will be next week. That's if I haven't gotten another proper chapter done by then.

I can see it! A road of **REVIEWS**!

**Kjman456**: Seta is not Minato. He spent more time messing with people than he has helping them. So expect him to screw up social links a few times. The resolution was easy because... Well Chie already fancies Seta even though he can be an asshole at times. So it was a little easier to forgive since it was basically Seta being Seta.

**DragonGolem**: Yeah. Angst is gone for a little while (even I was tiring of it). But it'll come back. And when it does, it'll come back _strong._

**FoolsSin**: Demons not in Persona 4... Well I hope some of my readers are Bioware fans since the next voice will be familiar. All I'm sayin' so far. That's a little ways off though. I mean Jackie-boy hasn't even been in a fight yet!

**MagnusRagnar**: Sorry. Seta will more or less always be full of himself. It's one of his biggest character flaws alongside not taking things seriously (see: second knight fight). However, putting yourself on a pedestal just gives people the opportunity to knock you off. So yes, many pegs. Many.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Chariot is at 4. Reversed, then on the next day restored and ranked up once.

**Kisdota**: To answer about the pairing: for now. To answer about the twisting: plenty. There's still a lot of characters we haven't even met yet.

**Residentidiot**: That'd be a little funny. But I'd say you're thinking too small.

**Master Basher**: Whether Seta will pull a Jacking (heheh heh) or not remains to be seen. But I can guarantee, it will NOT happen with the Yousei (fairy) clan. As for your Schrodinger's Cat theory, I'll be dealing a bit with that soon, in a way. Seta's shadow is still there, after all. _Waiting._

That's all for reviews. Time for the 'plug someone else's fic' part of the show! So someone PM-ed me the other day challenging me to a duel of epicness. I read his fic and it was pretty cool. His protagonist is the exact polar opposite of mine. In other words: a stuttering, overweight coward with agoraphobia. So if you hate Seta for his arrogance, you might find this guy more palatable.

The fic is called "Persona 4: Welcome to Tokyo (Act II)". I don't know why he added "Act II" to the end of his fic's title. That's just confusing. Anyway, check it out.

And before you ask, yes. I'll be doing a play-by-play of the ffff-gridiron game. Expect guest character commentators I'd say.

Thanks for reading!


	24. Investigation Team GO!

{05/16/11: Monday}

* * *

"Alright, we need to make this quick. Yosuke and I need to get to practice." I said as Yosuke and the girls gathered around me after class.

"The one who was on last night, it was _that_ guy, right?" Chie asked. I nodded in response.

"Kanji Tatsumi, huh? He definitely doesn't seem like the social type." said Yosuke.

"I take it you guys saw that news special too then?" I asked. They both nodded. Once again proving that that news channel are absolutely incapable of doing their jobs properly.

"He wasn't like that when he was younger..." Yukiko said, causing all of us to look at her in mild shock.

"You know him, Yukiko?" asked Chie. Huh. I figured if anyone knew about it then Chie would.

Ooh, I wonder if the prim and proper princess has been slumming it!

"Uh-huh. But I haven't talked to him in a long time. His family runs a textile shop and we've been a customer of theirs for years. So I speak with Kanji-kun's mother from time to time. Why don't we go there? We might be able to talk to him in person."

"Good idea, Yukiko. We'll head over after practice then. He's more likely to be around later on anyway. Chie, I'll mail you when we're done and we'll meet up in the shopping district, okay?"

"Sure thing, Seta-kun." she answered, nodding.

Good stuff. "Okay then. Let's go Yosuke."

* * *

Sheesh. Two hours of practicing the snap. So dull. Least there's less chance of it going wrong on Wednesday though. That'd just be embarrassing.

=Would ya stop sayin' 'sheesh'? I get it, you're smitten but you sound like such a bloody berk every time.=

-I didn't even say it!-

=You thought it! In here that's close enough!=

-Shut it, snowman. Or I'll punt your snowy ass across the TV world.-

=I'd like to see that! When you finally summon me I'm just gonna turn around and drop an avalanche on your brain-box! See how ya like that!=

-Yeah? Well... Wait, can you actually do that?-

=... No. But I could shoot you in the balls. I'm pretty sure that's worse.=

… I'm starting to get the impression that antagonising my personae is probably a very bad idea.

… Nahhh.

"Alright. Let's get this over with." I sighed as Yosuke and I met up with Chie and Yukiko.

We all followed Yukiko to Tatsumi Textiles since she was the only one who knew where it was. Kanji wasn't there, unfortunately. Instead we found...

We found...

… That's the prettiest boy I've ever seen.

"Seta!" Eh? "Hey, fearless leader! Snap out of it!"

… Whoops.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me, ma'am.", the perfectly unremarkable boy said to the old woman behind the shop counter.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help more." the shop owner replied.

"It's alright. You've given me plenty to think about. Thank you."

As he turned towards the exit, he made eye contact with me for a split second before immediately leaving, ignoring everyone else.

"What's up with him? Weirdo." Yosuke said after the boy had left.

"I 'unno. Never seen him before." Chie replied, answering Yosuke's rhetorical question.

"Yuki-chan, you're as lovely as always." the shop owner spoke, getting our attention again. "Your features are starting to remind me of your mother when she was young. How can I help you today? Are you out shopping with your friends?"

"Oh, umm. Well, actually..."

"We were wondering if Kanji-san was around." I interrupted. "We'd like to talk to him if that's okay."

"Oh? Well I'm sorry but he hasn't come home from school yet. You're welcome to wait for him, though. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Chie spoke up without warning. "Hey, this scarf... I've seen this somewhere before."

"Hm? Huh, you're right." Yosuke agreed as he walked over to her. "Where was that...?"

"Ah!" Che squeaked, seeming to come to a realisation before whispering excitedly to Yosuke.

"Are you acquaintances of Yamano-san?" asked the shop owner.

"Uh, well, kinda..." Yosuke answered. He needs to learn to lie better. "Um, did Yamano-shi happen to have a scarf like this?" I resisted the urge to palm my face. Shi? You just said you knew her! Idiot!

The shop owner didn't seem to notice the slip though. "Yes, it was a special order she placed. She actually ordered a matching pair but in the end, she said she only wanted the women's scarf. It left us with no choice but to sell this one separately."

Sell it separately, eh?

… Nah. Red isn't my colour.

The shop owner excused herself to take a delivery so we were left alone, allowing us to speak freely.

I waited for her to leave before... "Okay. Scenario. Yamano and that Namatame guy are having an affair. She falls in love with him. Special orders a set of his-and-hers scarves. Then the affair is made public. Namatame is shamed. Yamano feels guilty and attempts to break it off to save his career and marriage despite her feelings. But he was also in love with her and when she tried to break it off, he snapped. As his career and marriage were falling apart the one thing he cared about more than any of it was leaving him. So things get violent and Yamano ends up in the TV world. Maybe an accident? Regardless, she turns up dead a couple of days later."

"... Did you... _just_ come up with all that?" Yosuke asked me.

"Yeah?"

"Well, okay then. I suddenly feel validated in wanting you to be our leader."

"Flattery is nice. But the old lady will be back in a minute. Thoughts?"

Yosuke was the first to voice a question. "So how does Saki-senpai come into this scenario?"

"... So Namatame just found out he killed the woman he loved. Rationale goes out the window. He figures the only one who could have an idea what happened is the girl who found the body. So he tracks her down and does the same thing he did to Yamano."

"And me?" Yukiko asked. "Why would he go after me?"

I sighed as I tried to think of a plausible answer. "Okay... Two possible theories. One, Namatame hears about Konishi being on the midnight channel before she died. He watches it and sees Yukiko. Maybe he sees it as a request or something. Maybe he sees it as the universe telling him who else knows something about what he's been doing. Remember, by this point he isn't thinking rationally. And thus we have a link between the midnight channel and the murders."

"I'd buy that. What's the other theory?" Yosuke prodded.

"Namatame never saw the midnight channel. He's making these connections on his own. Yukiko works at the inn where Yamano was staying. Tatsumi lives and... works?" A nod from Yukiko. "Works at the shop where Yamano ordered scarves for them. Though I don't know how he'd know that or why he'd choose Kanji over the old woman as a victim... I suddenly have much less faith in this theory. Anyway, in this one the midnight channel would be for our benefit in stopping the murders from taking place."

"Yeah, that one seemed kind of weak." said Chie.

"I think it was borne of the hope that the universe might be cutting us a break. It'd be a nice change of pace." I replied. "Can anyone think of something that pokes a hole in this scenario?"

…

"Um..." Chie. "I'm pretty sure Yamano-shi was on the midnight channel too. Before she was killed, I mean."

"Oh, right!" Yukiko agreed. "You were telling me about how some guy was saying his soulmate was Yamano the announcer before all this happened!"

"... Ah." was all I said.

"Sorry." said Chie.

"Don't be sorry. This just proves once again we have no freaking idea what the midnight channel is and that guessing won't get us anywhere. We now know the midnight channel predicted it_ all_. It's more information than we had, at least. Let's go. We can wait for Kanji outside. This is a place of business, after all."

* * *

I'm now hiding behind a mailbox. Want to know why?

That's right. Yosuke. Because hiding where anyone can see you is _way _less conspicuous than just standing around.

Stupid Yosuke.

Oh, right. I forgot to mention, we're hiding because Kanji was talking with the cu-... pre-... _uninteresting _boy from inside the shop.

=You're not fooling anyone you know.=

"You're not fooling anyone you know."

"Shu-"... she was talking to Yosuke. "Err... sh. Shush! I'm trying to listen."

"T-tomorrow's fine with me." said Kanji, seeming to stumble over his words. "Huh? S-school? 'Course I'm going to school..."

"Then I'll meet you at the gates after school." the boy answered and walked away without another word.

"D-did he say he was interested?" Kanji asked himself aloud. "He's a guy... and I'm a guy... But... he's interested in me?"

Still confused, he turned to go... in... side...

… _Crap._

"What the hell are you pricks lookin' at?"

I think instinct kicked in for all of us since we were already running before he finished his sentence. Apparently fear overrode the logical conclusion that even Yukiko, the physically weakest of us, could've kicked his ass one-on-one at this point. Regardless, we hid in an alley and I guess he wasn't interested in following.

"That scared the hell out of me!" Chie spoke breathlessly. "He's even worse in person than on TV."

"... Why did we run?" Yosuke asked me.

"Instinct. Stupid, stupid instinct." I answered. "Tch. We needed to talk to him too. Warn him that he's a target."

"Well he was making plans with that weird kid a moment ago. Why don't we follow them? If we're lucky we might catch the killer making his move." Hold on to that optimism, Yosuke. "That being said, Yukiko, can I have your cell number?"

"Subtle." I chuckled.

"Was this your plan all along?" Che asked, glaring at him.

"Uh, no? I got everybody's number except hers. And the 'Y' section of my address book needs filling out." he smirked.

Chie sighed. "While we're on the subject, could you stop calling me at night just to tell dirty jokes? You really sound like a pervert."

"H-hey! I'm trying to have a conversation with Yukiko here!" he snapped.

…

"Oh!" Yukiko finally answered. "That reminds me, I need to buy tofu on my way home." … Or not so much 'answered' as 'completely ignored'.

Yosuke hung his head. "Whoa... She didn't hear a word I said."

"Okay, so the stakeout is set for tomorrow!" Chie announced. "Wow, stakeouts... Tailing people... I'm getting goosebumpts!

* * *

{05/17/11: Tuesday}

* * *

"They're gonna make you guys in a second. You know that, right?" I asked the others as Yosuke got back from 'tailing' Kanji. They were outside the gate just standing there. I was leaning on the inside of the gate.

"Oh, yeah? Well at least we can see them when that kid shows up." Yosuke shot back.

"Point. Yukiko, do you have a mirror on hand that I could borrow?" She passed me one. Red. With an attached make-up case. Should've expected as much. "There. Now I can stay inconspicuous and still watch them. Neener neener."

"You're right. Now you look like you're fixing your make-up. You don't stand out at _all_."

… "Shut up."

"Hah! I win!"

"Can we stay focused, please?" Chie interrupted. "So... Wait, why didn't you ask _me _for a mirror?"

=Careful, cutter. This could get bloody if you don't watch your words.=

-Don't worry. I got this.- "I figure you don't need one. You look amazing no matter what."

Heheh. I'm a smooth talker.

=... You're really not.=

"What, so I need the help, then?" Yukiko asked.

… Oh.

=Yeah. 'Oh'.=

"H-hey, look!" Yosuke stammered. "It's that weird kid. He's here. Let's all focus on him now!"

And Yosuke saves my ass again.

=I think it was more for his own sake this time, cutter. He's _between_ the two of them, after all.=

-Still.-

Kanji came out not long after. "D-did I keep you waiting?"

"No. I just arrived, myself." the boy answered before both left the school.

We waited for them to get out of earshot. Then Yosuke went over the plan. "Okay. We split into two groups. Chie and I will follow Kanji while Seta and Yukiko stake out the textile shop. Remember, Chie. We need to pretend we're on a date to make it look natural."

… You need to what what to what what?

"Not in a million years! That won't be necessary if we just stay out of sight!" Chie snapped back.

Wow. Such a vehement 'no' means I only have to glare at him. Breaking his nose would've been a terrible decision for several reasons.

* * *

And now I'm outside the textile shop with Yukiko. Alone. So many guys would kill to be in my shoes right now and I'd rather be anywhere else. The things I do for these stupid social links... "Sorry. About what I said earlier. I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. It's clear what you were trying to do." she answered.

A minute or two of silence.

Yukiko spoke up again. "Everything seems fine at the shop. I hope it stays that way... Do you think the culprit will come?"

"It's possible. But they've done this a few times and no one has noticed them yet. So they're probably pretty good at getting around without arousing suspicion."

"It'll be scary if they do show up. But if they do, I'll do what I can to help you catch them. You all saved my life. I don't want to be the only one doing nothing. I'm sure there's something I can do..." She paused, studying her shoes before continuing. "Oh, sorry. I went on and on without realising. I guess I'm a little nervous. I've never chatted with a boy my age like this before."

Need to stop this here. "Ah, ehh, err I'm not... I mean" Stop stammering you idiot!

"Don't worry. I know. You two aren't that subtle." she said, stopping me from embarrassing myself further. "Chie has no problem getting along with guys because of her personality. But I think she's had more fun hanging out with you and Yosuke, lately... The same is true for me."

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Priestess Arcana._

Great.

"Yosuke brought up a good point yesterday. I should get your cell number."

"Oh, right. Okay."

(_45 minutes later_)

"We regret to inform... that our mission failed." Chie announced, her and Yosuke bowing in apology.

"Yosuke what did you do?" I asked flatly.

"Wha- why am I instantly the one to blame?" he whined.

"Swords in a food court." I answered.

"Mouthed off to a cop!" he retorted, pointing at me in accusation.

"_I_ wasn't there this time. What did you do?"

"... There was nowhere to hide..."

Yukiko decided to relieve them from their guilt by moving past it. "Let's wait here a little longer. Maybe Kanji-kun will come home."

"Well of course he will. These two just ruined his date. Hell, he's probably on his way back right... now..."

… _Crap._

"What're you guys doing here? You're those stupid lovebirds I just saw!"

"You're the what now?" I asked Yosuke icily.

=C-cutter... Calm CALM!=

"We are not a couple!" Chie shouted, stamping her foot.

"Why are you assholes following me around?"

I thrust a hand out in Kanji's direction while I continued to glare at the side of Yosuke's head.. "_One _problem. At a _time."_

"S-Seta, it's not what you think w-we were j-just covering for following him around it wasn't I didn't I wouldn't _please don't kill me!_"

"So you guys _were_ followin' me!"

Yosuke's panic grew. "No! We were just... I mean... We weren't...! I wasn't...!" He looked from me to Kanji to me to Kanji and chose the best course of action.

Run away. _Fast._

"Seta!" Chie whispered harshly. "Arm."

… "What about it?" It's the same as normal.

"The _other_ one."

… Oh. That's... Bad.

For so many reasons.

I promptly hid my now black and clawed left hand behind my back before turning my attention to Kanji. "Okay. Sorry about that. Really. But we did want to talk to you about something."

"'S that why you guys've been followin' me around? What the hell is going on!" Kanji yelled before forcing himself to calm down. "I ain't sayin' this is you guys' fault but... Dammit!"

"O... kay? I don't quite follow what you're talking about but we just wanted to warn you."

"Huh? Warn me? The hell're you talin' about?"

"Calm." I warned, both to him and to myself. "The murders around town. We have reason to believe you're the next target. So we're telling you to be careful, that's all. Also," I reached into my left pocket with my right hand (which, unsurprisingly, was very awkward) and pulled out a piece of paper. "if you see anything particularly strange, call me on this number and I'll be there within minutes." I handed him the scrap of paper.

Which he immediately threw to the ground and stepped on. Charming.

"I get it. You guys're makin' fun of me! You shitheads better get the hell outta my face or I'm takin' you punks down!" he screamed at us.

Chie and Yukiko ran away. I didn't. "You really don't want to start this. Especially not now. It will end badly for you and you have to trust me when I say that is the exact opposite of what I want."

"Get bent, asshole!" he yelled as he threw a punch aimed for my face. I dodged left easily.

If I use my left I'll kill him. My right will probably do some damage... I hope Yukiko is still around...

But if she summons a persona here... Dammit!

Two more rights and a left... Even with the improved agility from my persona I'm having trouble dodging his punches. The rumours aren't exaggerated. This guy is one tough bastard.

Though the problem might be I can't fight back without causing some serious damage... Oh!

I have an idea... That won't work with only one hand. And I still can't use my left... Dammit! I have no choice.

I caught his next left fist with my right hand and held it. When I did the same thing again with my left I saw his eyes widen. This might make things easier actually. I dug the claws of my left into his hand slightly. Just barely enough to draw blood, and began to speak. "_None_ of this is a joke. _No one_ is making fun of you. We are just trying to make sure you _stay alive_." I let go of his hands. "Take the number. It's not a guarantee but it's a promise we'll do anything we can to keep you safe." I turned and walked away, hoping that as I did he was picking up that scrap of paper.

I caught up to the others in the same alley where we hid last time. "Anyone have a glove or something? I can't seem to shut this thing off." Shaking heads all around. "Too much to hope for, I guess."

"I thought it was just your right?" Chie asked. "Y'know because of that whole... thing."

"Evidently not. But... A problem for later. We should stay focused on Kanji." _We_ should. _I_ should go to the Velvet Room and see what Igor has to say.

"You think he'll actually call?" Yosuke asked.

"Honest answer?"

"Honest answer."

"I think we won't know whether he would've called until after we've rescued him. I think despite everything we've done, the killer will still catch him off guard. All we've done today is give him a better shot than most."

"Wow. That's... a pretty negative outlook." Yosuke said, looking depressed.

"Like I said, hang onto your optimism. You won't be getting any from me."

* * *

"So... It has begun then." Igor's voice sounded far less enthusiastic than usual.

"If by 'it' you mean 'something that causes parts of my body to turn demonic that I can't stop' then... yes."

"With your permission, we would like to switch the mental connection from Jack Frost to another persona." Margaret requested, showing all the vibrancy she usually does. Which is to say 'none'.

"Can I ask why? Or is this another great big secret that you can't tell me about 'until I'm ready'?"

"We have determined this is something entirely separate from your journey. As such, we are not required to keep the details from you. Nevertheless, we feel it would be better for you to learn of your... condition, from someone who understands better than we ever could." Igor explained.

"By releasing your connection to Jack Frost, he will be capable of contacting his superior and explaining the situation in full." Margaret finished.

I heard Jack Frost sigh inside my head. =When's good for you, cutter?=

-What?-

=When can you meet him? Might need a full day for it.=

-Football game tomorrow. Then if my guess is right, we'll be going into the other world on Thursday. So... the 20th. That work?-

=We'll see.=

"Do it. Eligor is fine. So what do I do about my... claw?"

"It will disappear on it's own soon enough. Until then..." Igor threw me a pair of white gloves. "Wear these."

… At least they match my colour scheme.

* * *

_\_Pi pi pi pi!_\_

_\_Oh, hello? It's Yukiko. Sorry for calling so late. Um, Kanji-kun seems to be missing! I had some calls to make for the inn so I called the textile shop as well. When I spoke to Kanji-kun's mother, she told me he left the house and hasn't returned since. She did say this happens all the time but... What do you think?_\_

"You already know what I think."

_\_Yeah... I suppose we'll know for sure soon. It's raining, after all. Talk to you later. _\_

(_2 hours later_)

_\_Hel-LO, dear viewers... it's time for 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse'!_\_

I hate being right.

* * *

A/N: So guess what this chapter does. It puts us over 100,000 words! WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?

Oh, right. Writing awesome stuff. Go me!

Anyway, this chapter took a while. But I promise awesome later because of it. In the form of Strange Journey (spoilers will occur) and Devil Survivor (yep, here too). I intended to do the footb-GRIDIRON game in this chapter too but the investigation stuff took longer than expected.

Peaceful days are over. Let's **REVIEW!**

**Kjman456**: Fun fact. I forgot he figured that out last chapter and when I remembered I realised it was an entirely unimportant factor while they're dealing with Kanji. So Seta ignores it until it slips his mind. Not just a rationalisation, it would've been easier to just rewrite it if that were the case. As for the anime name, I'm not using the manga name anyway (thanks SamJaz!) so those guys can call him whatever they want to too!

**Bakapervert**: An actual review would be lovely, mate. Just sayin'.

**Alexander Smith**: I know, it just confuses first time readers who would look for a 'Part 1'.

**FoolsSin**: … Nah. Can't talk about it. Though the shadow stuff will get a bit of development very very soon. Expect a curveball.

**Kisdota etc**: I hope my talk on that stuff didn't disappoint.

**Mr. Thumbsup**: Couldn't be because at the time the gas station attendant was a completely insignificant character. That'd be madness. But Seta is (or is gradually becoming) a decent detective. And the dots will all be there to be connected.

**Kimori Koukei**: Naoto? Who's that? The boy Seta is certainly not attracted to because that'd be weird and he doesn't swing that way and he must be only like twelve since he's so short and... Why are you looking at me like that? And circumstances around Chie will be much more complicated than Seta just being a dick (though that is guaranteed to happen too. It's just how he rolls).

**REVIEWS DONE**

So those side stories, huh? Weren't they great? Eh? Whaddya mean I didn't post them?

… I mean... Those side-stories will be so great! I'll definitely post them.

Alright, cards on the table. I've rewritten Pixie like six times trying to get the right feel in the writing but it just isn't coming together. I'll keep working at it because I think it's a great idea (and a great way to add to the fiction) but it might take longer than expected. I will not give a timeline for release because apparently whenever I do that I lie like a dog. So yeah. When it's done.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. Fun fact. This chapter finished on the exact day I posted it. Heheh. Nice.


	25. Seta Souji III

_\_Tonight, I'll introduce a superb site for those searching for sublime love that surpasses the separation of the sexes!_\_

You know, I hadn't realised how cruel the Midnight Channel could be before.

_\_I'm your host, Kanji Tatsumi, serving you this scandalously special sneak-in report!_\_

I mean this one is _not_ subtle. Anyone who watches this would know exactly what it's trying to say.

_\_Goodness gracious! Just imagine the things that might happen to me in there! Oooooh!_\_

This is his shadow. This is a part of himself he is _not _comfortable with.

_\_Well, let's get the show on the road! Tootaloo!_\_

And before he can even admit it to himself, it gets shown to the whole world.

It's just not fair.

_\_Pi pi pi pi!_\_ My phone. Yosuke.

_\_H-h-hey! I mean... What the...!_\_

"I might kick your ass tomorrow depending on what you say. So choose your words carefully." I warned.

_\_But that was completely over the top!_\_

"If you remember, that's kind of the point."

_\_... Fine. So it really was Kanji, then. I guess our warning didn't really do any good, huh?_\_

"I guess not."

_\_In any case, that place behind him. What kind of place do you think it is?_\_

"I guess you were distracted. He said it himself. It's a 'Bad Bad Bathhouse'."

_\_Wha...! I wasn't distracted! Why would I be distracted? _You_ were distracted!_\_

"Just get some sleep, Yosuke. Tomorrow was already gonna be a long day. It just got longer."

* * *

{05/18/11: Wednesday}

* * *

The pre-game atmosphere in the locker room is nothing like how I remember it. Maybe it's because before I was one of the least experienced players on the team. Now I'm the _guy_. The guy with the answers. The guy with the plan. The guy who has to lead this team to victory.

Of course, that means everyone else in this room feels the same way I felt back then.

Nervous.

Anxious.

Excited beyond measure.

Kondo came through the door and gave a nod to signal we're ready to go. Guess it's time for the pre-game pep talk then, eh?

"This is our first game. Tell me, why do you think we're here? This is an exhibition game. In the grand scheme, it means nothing, right? We should consider it a learning experience, right? A chance to see what it's like to stand on the field against an opponent who wants nothing more than to crush us underfoot."

"Right?"

I knocked over a conveniently placed chair. "Wrong! Fuck the grand scheme! Win for the sake of winning! Learning experience? Learn about winning! Those other guys want to crush _us_? _I _say _we_ get out there, and _we _show what happens to teams who call us an easy target!"

A small cheer. "Get out there and beat those Detarame bastards so hard they end up scared to even stand on the damn _field_!"

* * *

27 – 32

Yasogami win.

I'm kind of surprised by the size of the crowd. But then Kondo's plan to get people to come was a good one.

Five extra marks on the English exam for every attendee. He's so freaking shameless.

Still, pretty big cheering section. And now they're all celebrating victory. More subdued than I'm used to but... Well, this isn't America. The applause is nice, even if it does make it feel more like a tennis match than the regulated brawl of a football game.

Trust Chie to be the only one literally cheering, though. She's so awesome.

On the walk back to the changing rooms, I watched the others remove helmets to show grinning faces underneath. Our first game and our first victory.

It feels good.

* * *

"We should do something to celebrate. I mean our first win? Pretty big deal, right?" I asked rhetorically.

"I hope you don't mean right now." Yosuke answered. "I can barely move as it is, man! And besides, we have stuff to do today, remember?"

"I know, I know. I meant... How's Saturday? We could head to Okina. Do karaoke or somethin', I dunno."

"Yeah?... Yeah. That sounds like fun! Who's in?" Yosuke asked the room.

I sent a significant glance to Kou. He seemed to pick up on it. "Yeah, Daisuke and I are in!"

"But I have-"

"We're _in._" Kou repeated, cutting Daisuke off mid-complaint.

"Uhh... Yeah. Okay. Sure."

"I'm game." Juro agreed.

"Mm." Dokuro... I think that was a yes? I... Yeah. I'll take that as a yes.

"... No one else? Ah, well." I sighed. "Nevermind. Our first win, guys! We're gonna rule that tournament in September!"

* * *

"Man up, Yosuke! It can't be that bad. Seta looks like he's doing fine." Chie admonished at seeing Yosuke limp along behind us as we walked through Junes.

"Yeah? Well Seta didn't spend the entire game taking a beating from a bunch of meatheads! I'm bruised in places I didn't even think could _get_ bruised!" he whined.

I was actually pretty beat up, myself. I just do a better job of hiding it. No one likes a whiner as Yosuke just proved. "We'll get ourselves fixed up when we're inside."

And that's exactly what we did, Yosuke and I using our own personae to deal with our injuries before we even acknowledged Teddie was... there.

And not alone.

"Uhh, hey Teddie. Who's your new frie-"

"**You're here!"**

The grey-haired boy turned to face us, showing his solid yellow eyes in the process and ran straight up to me, stopping just barely outside my personal space.

"He appeared just now. He said he was excited because you were coming back. But something's different." Teddie explained.

Different is right. I remember my shadow. Really, how could I forget? And he was more like a sinister suited salaryman.

He definitely wasn't a duplicate of my nine year old self.

… I don't like where this is going.

"**I knew you'd come back! Or... Or you'd send for me! Because you're the reason I'm here so... so you have to have a reason."**

But that's why it's going there, isn't it?

"**There's a reason you made me! There has to be! I just... I just want to be useful to you! Tell me what you want me to do! I'll do it! Just don't send me away! Let me stay here! With you!"**

Don't...

"**Dad..."**

"ENOUGH! You're not my shadow!"

"Seta!"

I heard Chie's yell but ignored it. "This is all a lie. It has to be. I know my shadow! Angry. Manipulative. Likes to play with people and watch them dance to whatever tune he tells them! That _thing_?" I hissed, pointing at the child shadow. "That stopped being me a _long_ time ago. A pathetic mess that just wanted to go home and play happy family with a mother who ignored him and a father who passed the job of raising him on to whichever assistant drew the short straw.

A _reason_? You think there's a _reason_ they had you? I'll tell you what it was. They had some bad luck with a condom, _there's _your fucking reason! So if that man wants to tell me to do something, I'll tell him to shove it so far up his ass that he fucking chokes on it! Now get the hell out of my face you worthless, useless, mindless FAKE."

…

"Teddie... get to safety. Chie, Yukiko! Cover me while I get him clear! This is about to go bad!" Yosuke ordered as he started to drag me somewhere...

"**Heeheeheehee! Heeheehee!" **The child shadow's laugh was... ordinary. No sign of the foreboding atmosphere of Chie's or Yukiko's or Yosuke's...

"**Hahahaha! HAHAHAHA!"** Oh, there it is. A second laugh. Deeper. Probably closer to my voice as it is now. But something's still... off.

"**HAHAHAHAhahahahmhmhmmm, ohhh if you guys could see your faces now! Classic!"**

And then he appeared. My shadow. Exactly as I remember him. Same suit, same hair, same sneer. Almost comforting.

"See? See?" I yelled without realising as I pulled away from Yosuke. "I was right! That little brat's a fake! I knew it wasn't me! The suited shadow! That's me! That's my real shadow!"

"**Wrong on both counts, I'm afraid. The little one is still you and I'm not your real shadow. Sorry!"**, my... _the_ shadow said with a grin, proving he was very much _not_ sorry.

"No, wait! You said you were my shadow before! Shadows can't lie!" I pointed out.

"**Oh yeah? Who told you that?" **he asked, grinning.

"... Oh." Damn.

"Ohhh! I get it!" Teddie announced, suddenly filled with energy. "They're aspect shadows!"

… Eh?

"Uhh, Teddie? Since you seem to know what's going on for some reason, are we fighting or not?" Yosuke asked, still ready for battle.

"Nope! These things could bearly hurt a fly! Heehee!"

I felt my eyebrow start to twitch. The suited shadow's started doing the same.

Huh.

"They're not like regular shadows. They're... It's like each one is a specific part of a person. And denying them doesn't do a thing." Teddie explained.

Wait... 'parts of a person'...

"**Ahhh, looks like reading all that psychology stuff paid off for you, didn't it boss man?"**

"Huh?"

"**Don't worry about it Yosuke. It's just Captain Daddy Issues just figured out some stuff. Unfortunately he's still stuck on hating the little one here to explain."** The suited... aspect ruffled the child aspect's hair. **Well, since I know everything he knows, I'll stand in for the explanation. Cool? Cool. Okay so I'm part of Seta. So is Short Round here. No. Shut up." **he ordered before I could say anything.

"**But what that _really_ means is we're a part of his _psyche_. So far he's guessing that I would be his Thanatos; destructive side, and the little one is his Superego; influence by authority figures. Well, that's his guess if you ignore the 'noooo it can't be true that's impossible' stuff."**

"... Eros." I mumbled.

"Huh? You say somethin', sensei?"

"What about my Eros?" I said again, louder. "If there's a Thanatos aspect, there has to be an Eros too. A creative side."

The suited one smirked. **"Haven't seen it. Haven't seen your regular shadow either, by the way. One of them has to be Izanagi, though. Since it's already a persona, it would make sense for it to not exist as a shadow anymore."**

"I thought you said you were... Oh, right. Lying. Of course." Stupid annoying manipulative... "Okay then. So why the ruse?"

He shrugged. **"For funsies. Why else? I'm your inner sadist, he's your inner masochist. So both of us love to see you miserable. And you really should've seen your faces! Priceless! I mean he didn't even have to say that much. I think it might be a new record!"**

"... I need a break." I headed for the Velvet Room door. "When I get back you better not be here."

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"Does this place have a minibar?" I asked, hopeful.

"Yes. Though most of what we have is of a truly ancient vintage. They should be savoured and enjoyed, not wasted on the drowning of sorrows. Even were that not so, you have come across a near limitless source of alcoholic beverages, have you not?"

I really shouldn't give Igor so much shit. He's alright. And I'll be taking a walk to a certain foggy liquor store later. Heheh.

Margaret coughed to get my attention. "You may want to put on your gloves."

… I sighed. Great, I'm clawed again. Friday. Two days. I can handle two more days of this. "Is Jack Frost done yet do you think?" I asked as I covered my changed hands.

"I would assume so. Would you like the connection restored?"

"Please." -You were mercifully quiet, Eligor. So thanks for that.-

=When in the presence of a lord, it is improper to speak unless spoken to.=

-... Huh?-

='Huh' what, boss? Hey, did ya miss me?=

-Yes and no. Is it set, then?-

=Someone'll come find you on Friday. When they do, drop what you're doing and go with 'em.=

-Got it.-

=... It happened again, didn't it?=

-Yes. Long story.-

=Your shadow pissed you off again.=

-... Okay, it's not _that_ long.-

"Thanks again, Igor."

* * *

"They gone?" I asked, not turning away from the Velvet Room door.

"As soon as you stopped talking they just vanished. I guess they don't exist when your mind isn't here. Also?" I felt a stinging pain on the back of my head.

"OW what the-! Did you just slap me?" I squeaked as I turned around.

"For denying your shadow." Yosuke explained. "Even if it wasn't quite a real one."

"... Yeah, okay that's fair. Erm... could someone remind me why we're here?"

"Kanji-kun." Yukiko supplied.

"OH! Right. Yes. Teddie, there's someone else in here, right? Can you take us to him?"

"Eheheh... Well... No."

… "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I sniff and I sniff but I still can't tell where the smell comes from." Teddie said, looking... sullen? I think that's sullen. It's hard to read emotions on a bear costume.

"Maybe you're pushing yourself too hard. I mean you've been spending all your time thinking, right? It's not like you can come up with the answer just like that. Especially with that empty head of yours." I chuckled aloud, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"... You're right." he answered, and turned away.

"Whoa, he's _really_ down about this." said Chie.

"Teddie, if you can't find where Kanji Is, we're in deep trouble. We can't just wander around aimlessly in a place like this." said Yosuke.

Teddie jerked and turned back around. "I know what might help! You should give me a clue about this Kanji person! It's just a feeling I have. I think I could concentrate better with it. Do you have anything that could give me a good understanding of him?"

"Something about Kanji, huh? I can't really think of anything besides all the rumours about him..." Yosuke admitted.

"Yeah. It's not like we know him that well." Chie agreed.

"I just need some sort of hint. Something that tells me what he's really like."

Heheh. "Well, then. I guess it's time for us to live up to our name and do some investigating!"

"We have a name?" Chie asked.

"Since when do we have a name?" Yosuke near-echoed.

"Didn't I tell you guys about the name? Oh. Okay. Well, er-her-hem, we are... the _Investigation Team_!"

…

"You are such a dork."

"Can't believe he picked a sucky name like-"

"I like it!"

"Oh, yeah? Well screw all you guys... Most of you guys. You made me leader so I pick the name. Besides, you're one to talk, Miss 'Secret Headquarters'!" I said as I glared at Chie.

"Wha- That was Yukiko!"

"Yeah, well... You liked the sound of it!"

**SMASH!**

What, seriously?

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Fool Arcana._

Well okay then.

* * *

{05/19/11: Thursday}

* * *

No football practice today. So we have all the time in the world to learn all about Kanji.

And this is where I will _shine_.

I spent eight years learning how to imitate personalities down to the tiniest detail. To mess with people, to see how people react to certain personalities, to simply pretend to be someone else...

The reasons aren't important.

But in order to properly imitate a personality, I needed to learn about the person it belonged to. And to do that I had to learn how to learn about people. And that is how I learned... to profile.

You hear that, Jack? It's going to get fun!

=I hate you sometimes.=

### PROFILING START ###

* * *

A/N: I had plans for the football game. I really did. It just never came together how I wanted it to. Those plans may come back when I get to September. So two cool things in this chapter, eh? Aspects (see FEStorms chapter 3, I think). And profiling. You'll see what that involves next time.

I have a new beta after going without for months! Yay! Have a Little Feith is awesome for volunteering and is also awesome in general. Yay Feith! Woo!

Stay thy course to indulge an old **REVIEW**.

**Kjman456:** FESverse canon. Persona users can use persona abilities in the real world. Chie already has once. Though it would be hard to do without someone noticing. His arm thing? … No comment. Answer is two chapters away.

**MagnusRagnar:** That very much depends. Seta won't be taking control of any clans, or even fighting on behalf of any clans. In fact, he's pretty much dead set on keeping that stuff as far away from his friends as he can. Certain elements will show up but it'll be rare for any of it to take centre stage.

**Kisdota: **Yes, it'll be in the Jakkai nation. But only because Serph and co. are still there. If they'd signed up with the Tyrants instead, Seta would be crashing at Lucifer's place.

**Mangagor: **I love being told I'm awesome. Thankee.

**REVIEWS** done.

I got not much else to say. Soooooo...

Thanks for reading.


	26. Kanji Tatsumi I

### PREVIOUSLY DURING THE INVESTIGATION ###

=No. Stop that. We're not doing that.=

-You're no fun... Well I'm still doing this bit again.-

### PROFILING START ###

Heheh! Okay. Kanji Tatsumi.

High schooler. Bleached hair, bullet necklace, skull t-shirt, short temper. Basically your stereotypical badass. But then his shadow was...

=Whoa! That's...=

-You got that right, Zach... I mean Jack.-

=Hate. You.=

-What? It was an accident. Slip of the tongue, I swear!-

=YOU'RE NOT USING YOUR TONGUE.=

-Heheh! Yeahhh.- Okay. So shadows tend to go for the over-the-top metaphor. So while I bet there's a grain of truth in there – what we observed while following him indicated as much – I bet there's more to it. Either way I'd say Kanji is overcompensating with his attitude.

=Why?=

-It's what people do. If they don't like something about themselves, they'll try and disguise the problem. Bad hair? Wear a hat. Overweight? Dark and/or baggy clothing. Gay? Act super macho.-

=Feh. You all this insecure, then?=

-I figure it's an evolutionary thing. Ever since we figured out bashing predators with a club was more effective than bare hands. I guess we're just hard-wired that way now. But we're getting off-topic.- So possible sources of information include Kanji's mom, the school, nearby shop owners, maybe.

=How 'bout that boy you fancy?=

-... That's kind of a mean thing to say about Chie.- Hey! Maybe that guy in the hat Kanji was hanging out with might know something!

=... Wow. You weren't joking about the overcompensating, then.=

-I don't know what you're talking about. Also, shut up.-

Okay, let's start with the school while there's still students around.

* * *

Male student: "Tatsumi... Oh, that biker guy? Sorry. Don't know much about him."

False. Conflicts with Uncle's statement.

Male student: "Oh, yeah. I remember him from middle school. He was really weird. He's supposed to be some kinda psycho badass now, yeah? Can't say I'm surprised. He was always kind of an outsider."

Potentially true. No conflicts.

Female student: "Oh, that weirdo? Yeah. Did you know he sews? Creepy, right? I hear even when he's in school he hangs around the Home Ec room in the Practice Building. I bet he's a real perv."

Potentially true. Merits further investigation.

Female student: "P-p-perv? No way! He's not like that! He's... nice. Hmhm! He even gave me tips on cross-stitch! And I bet this biker stuff is all a lie, too. I just know he wouldn't go around hurting people!"

Confirms previous statement.

Kondo-sensei: "Tatsumi? … Bullet necklace? Hangs his jacket on his shoulders? Yeah, I know him. Kind of a loner from what I understand. Think it was the thing with those out-of-town kids that set off that violent streak though. Kept screaming 'shut the hell up' and beating on anyone who came close enough. Must've taken down half a dozen of them on his own. Hey! Maybe we could get him on the football team!"

Well _he_ believes it well enough.

Current profile: loner, tends towards feminine pursuits, supposedly pleasant company when not indulging violent tendencies.

… Also, has earned himself a crush from a female student.

On to the shopping district.

* * *

Konishi liquor store: "Buy something or get out."

… Maybe try somewhere else.

Daidara: "Tatsumi? Tch. Angry little bastard, that's for sure. Came in here once askin' why the hell I don't do somethin' about those bikers who show up sometimes. Much as I'd like to, I don't plan on killin' any of 'em any time soon. Still, I see where he's comin' from. Them assholes are _noisy_. His Ma's an old lady. She don't need that interruptin' her sleep."

Confirms Uncle's statement. Violent tendencies have justification.

Shiroku: Oh, hello young man! Tatsumi? Oh, he's such a misguided boy. Thinks himself a strong man by beating the 'bad guys' to protect his mother. Doesn't seem to realise he is just making her worry.

New insight. Believes he needs to be manly.

Tatsumi Textiles: "I'm sorry, young man. We are closed for the day. I need to find my son. Have you seen him? He really is a nice boy. He just doesn't realise he gets... carried away sometimes."

… No new information.

Updated profile: Outsider. Possibly avoided by students originally for feminine pursuits and now for violent tendencies(?). Supposedly pleasant company. Determined to prove himself manly (perhaps causing violent tendencies?). Fiercely protective of family.

… Jack, I feel like we're still missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

=Hahhhh. You're gonna stop doing that soon, right?=

-... Yes.-

=Good. And I don't see what else you could do. You could look for the guy with the hat but he could be anywhere. Might as well go now and hope what you have is enough.=

* * *

Well that's... surprisingly convenient.

As soon as I got inside Junes, who do I find? Hat guy. Standing by the elevators.

Well, since he's here... "Excuse me..."

"Yes?" He turns and looks up at me. I'd swear his eyes widened as he did but if it really happened he recovered before I could blink.

"You... probably don't remember me. I saw you inside the textile shop a few days ago."

"I remember." Yes! He remembers me! Err, I mean yes. This will be beneficial for the investigation. "I also remember your friends following Tatsumi and I on the riverbank. And doing a terrible job, too."

… Ah. "Y-yeah they're weird like that."

"I believe you were also watching as we left the school grounds that day." A hint of a smirk showed on his face as he folded his arms. "Through a make up mirror, in fact."

… Ahhhh.

=AHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Oh, he is so far out of your league, cutter!=

-Shut up.-

=And you thought you were such hot shit with that trick!=

"No need to look so insulted. The idea was sound. A bright red make-up case was a poor choice of mirror, however." He allowed himself to fully smirk as he said this, apparently proud of catching me, before going back to looking impassive. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Naoto Shirogane."

"Seta Souji. Nice to meet you, Shirogane-san." Eh? The hell? Since when do I use last names?

"Souji? Surely not _that_ Seta Souji?"

Annnd there goes my good mood. And it looks like he noticed. "There is no _that_ Seta Souji. There is only a _that_ Serph Souji who happens to have a son named Seta."

"... Of course. My apologies. What can I do for you Souji-san?"

Shake it off... Okay. Go. "Well you might've heard that Kanji Tatsumi has gone missing. My friends and I are trying to help find him."

Naoto raised an eyebrow. "I see. That sounds like a task more suited for the police."

"They have a double homicide to solve. And they're not doing a great job of that either." Uncle would probably hit me for saying that but I need the cover right now. "Besides, the last time someone vanished the police tried to pin the murders on them."

"You have little faith in the police then. That sentiment seems common in this town."

"This is a small town. Most of the time I doubt they have to deal with more than vandalism and the occasional robbery. They're not prepared for stuff like this." Why the hell am I talking about...? "We're getting off topic. Anything you could tell me about Kanji could be useful. Even if it's just general stuff. No one seems to know him that well."

He sighed. "Well I didn't spend a great deal of time with Tatsumi-san but he seemed oddly nervous most of the time. Shifty, stammering, etcetera. He also seemed quick to take offense to any passerby who so much as glanced his way. In conversation, he was guarded, thinking carefully about everything he said. I could not guess what he was trying to avoid saying, however. Beyond that, there's not much I can tell you. I don't even know anything about his pastimes. When I asked, he immediately changed the subject. Whatever they are, I would wager they are embarrassing for him."

… And there it is. Clear as a crisp spring morning!

=You promised you'd stop!=

Quit whining. I'm almost done. He just gave us everything we needed to get an almost perfect profile. Can't let on though. "Well, thank you anyway. Something he's ashamed of... It gives us something to look into, at least."

Naoto nodded. "No problem. Would you mind if I ask you something before you go?"

"Not at all. Go ahead."

"Why were you following him before he went missing?"

…

…

… Shit.

… Shit! I can't think of anything! -Help!-

=... Tell a half-truth. Tell him about the midnight channel.=

-And look like a crazy person?-

=That rumour is going through this town. It won't be too long before everyone knows about it. Then your story will prove itself, right?=

-This is risky.-

=I have no idea who you're dealing with here but he's _good_. He's given you no better options, cutter.=

… "This is going to sound crazy but bear with me." … Dammit! Anytime I hear or think that word I think of Teddie. It's like losing The Game.

… _Fuck!_

Shake it off. Go. "You ever hear of the midnight channel?"

"In passing, yes. Something about seeing one's soulmate in a TV screen."

"That part isn't true. Whoever is on screen is the same for everyone. Two of the people who appeared on it are dead, the other two disappeared. Kanji Tatsumi was the most recent disappearance."

He stared at me. "You expect me to believe this?"

"No. But it's the truth. You can see for yourself. Midnight on a rainy night on a turned off TV. If Kanji's still missing, he'll appear on it."

"Either you're an exceptionally good liar or you really believe that."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Ask any of my friends and they'll tell you how bad a liar I am."

"They are your friends and could be covering for you." he pointed out.

"If they were covering for me they'd be lying too. If I were lying, why would I suggest you ask them and give you another method to expose me?"

With that, I stepped into the elevator that had a perfect sense of dramatic timing.

=You could've told him without sounding so much like a schemer.=

-If that's true then I guess 'schemer' is my default setting.-

* * *

"Okay guys. If the guy with the hat asks any of you if I'm a good liar, tell the truth. Also, don't tell him about anything more than the midnight channel."

"O... kay? Why are we telling him about that?" Yosuke asked as I sat down at our usual table.

"Because he... Look, I got the information about Kanji. The cost was telling him why we were following him. I challenge you to think of a decent cover for why four teenagers were following a fifth around and doing a bad job hiding it."

…

"Wanted to see if the rumours were true." Chie suggested.

"Friend of ours has a crush on him and we were seeing if he had a girlfriend." Yukiko offered.

"We were bored." Yosuke offered.

"Well _fine!_ Next time one of you guys can talk to him instead." I grumbled, slumping in my chair.

"Doesn't matter now. We've got what Teddie wanted. We should get g-"

"Aah! Something's there!" Chie squealed as she pointed to something to my right. At the fox.

Oh, man. I really don't need this today.

"Okay, short version. Met this fox at the shrine, he gave me a magic leaf and an old man took it to heal his busted legs. Fox basically says it wants to help by fixing us up. But not for free. That about cover it?"

"Yip!"

"Good. Let's roll."

Damned batshit insane universe with its weird crap showing up whenever I least expect it and creeping me the fuck out never making any sense and-

* * *

… Huh. No little me _or_ evil me. Lucky lucky.

"Okay, Teddie. There's two ways we could do this. Either I could tell you straight out what Kanji is like or I could use the information to make a basic imitation of his personality. What'll it be?"

"So we're really not gonna talk about the-"

"NO." I said, interrupting Yukiko before she could ask about that... thing again.

Damn fox.

"Hmmm. Let's do the talking thing first. But that's quite a talent you have, sensei! I didn't know you could do that!" Teddie squeaked, impressed.

"Neither did we." Yosuke added with a quirked eyebrow.

I shrugged. "Since I got to Inaba I haven't wanted or needed to. It's not a particularly useful skill. Well, except once when I was trying to cheer Nanako up. Though I was still being 'me'... We're getting off topic. Here's his basic profile:"

And so I went over the basics and the not-so-basics of Kanji Tatsumi. From his interest in sewing to the fact that his interest in sewing makes him feel ashamed because it's 'un-manly' to his violent tendencies being a way for him to prove himself a manly man.

"Hmmmm... Hmmmmm... Hmmmm..." Teddie hummed as he tried to 'sniff' for Kanji. "Hmmmm... Oh! I think I've found something! It feels like our target! Is this it?" He looked around before nodding to himself, shouting "Follow me!" and wandering off.

"Well... You guys heard the bear. Follow him."

* * *

I sighed to myself. "Yeah. This looks familiar."

Standing in front of us was the same sauna shown on the Midnight Channel. The 'Bad Bad Bathhouse', as Kanji's shadow had named it.

We weren't even inside yet and my glasses were already fogging up. Kind of defeats the purpose of having them.

"Is it just me, or is the fog kind of different around here?" Chie asked.

"It's a bathhouse. This isn't just the fog. It's also steam. Visibility is going to be a problem." I answered as I cleaned my glasses on my jacket.

"_C'mere, pussycat." _a disembodied... husky male voice spoke in a teasing tone.

And suddenly Yosuke looks like he's gonna piss himself. Not surprised, really.

"_**Oh... Such well-defined pecs..."**_

"_There's no need to be scared..."_

There was an uncomfortable silence when the voices faded. Yosuke was the one to break it. "_Fuck that_! Good luck with saving Kanji, guys. Try not to get raped, partner!"

I grabbed hold of his shoulder as he turned to run. "I remember a certain someone swearing to save people, catch a murderer, this ringing any bells?"

"But... But this is like way above and beyond, man! I never signed on for _this!_" he squeaked.

"Neither did Kanji."

That stopped him cold. "... Damn it. Fine! But I'm not going in first!"

"Fine by me. Chie, take point. Yosuke, you can watch our backs. Make sure nothing... takes us from behind."

He groaned. "I should've thought this through more!"

As we headed towards the entrance, Chie leaned towards me with a conspiratorial whisper of "Are we sure this isn't Yosuke's shadow we're dealing with?"

I snickered and replied with an uncertain shrug. This one seemed to be bothering him more than his actual shadow did.

Our first foray into the bathhouse was short-lived, not even leaving the first floor. We faced off against a couple of shadows that looked kind of like Cupid. They were kind of creepy and didn't look like much of a threat but they were actually stronger than the vast majority of the shadows in the castle. If only by virtue of them not fleeing from us on sight.

I had vague hopes of the castle being the best this world had to offer. What was that idiom? 'Hope for the best, plan for the worst'?

* * *

{05/19/11: Friday}

* * *

It was lunchtime and more or less the entire school were crowded around the bulletin board where the results of the recent exams were posted. Yosuke and I waited for the crowd to thin a little before checking for our scores.

As we got to the board I looked at the scores for our year starting from the bottom. I found Yosuke's score first. 36th place. Individual grades were kind of all over the place. The 95% in English was something of a surprise, though.

Chie was 29th. Just inside the top half of our year. Hmmm. Maybe I could suggest some private study sessions together... Heheheh... Heheh...

Huh.

5th.

I'm 5th.

And Yukiko is 3rd.

I chewed the inside of my cheek as I processed this. Accidentally drawing blood in doing so.

"Damn, Seta. You managed a score like that while doing the Principal's training from Hell?"

… Yeah. Yeah, that must be it. It wasn't that I wasn't good enough. It was that old man's fault! I could've got number 1 easy!

… But I didn't.

"Seta Souji?" spoke a voice from behind us, successfully distracting me from a depressing train of thought. I turned to see the speaker; a man who looked to be in his late 30s with white hair and glasses, wearing a brown jacket, camo pants and boots. He had an odd marking on his left hand that I didn't recognise.

"Hm. The resemblance. It really is uncanny. Oh, sorry. I forgot my manners for a second. My name is Roland. I believe there are some things you wished to discuss with a friend of mine."

I looked at Yosuke, muttered a "See you tomorrow", and followed after Roland.

Finally, I can get some real answers.

* * *

A/N: Sorry. Updates happen when they happen. That's all I got to say about that.

So Seta proves he's not infallible in this chapter. Honestly? I couldn't think of an excuse myself when writing the Naoto conversation so that's where I took it. Then as soon as Seta told the others I thought of three in quick succession. Who'da thunk, eh?

In the game of **REVIEWS** you **REVIEW** or you die. (disclaimer: No one will die for not reviewing, this is just a quote joke. Though I may scowl at you over the internet.)

**Eminarukiax:** Seta is a bit of a Risette fanboy. His reaction to the harsh reality behind the showbiz razzle-dazzle... Did I really just use the phrase 'razzle-dazzle'? Huh. Anyway, he's not gonna be ready for the real Rise.

**Lord of Murder: **… Just to check, are you going to perish and in so doing spawn a score of mortal progeny, chaos being sewn in their footsteps? I heard that once. From some dude named Alaundo, I think.

… Wow. Is that really all I had to say to reviews? Hm. Well a lot of stuff was answered with the chapter itself and the rest was kind of spoilery. So nevermind. Keep the reviews coming though. I love reading them.

Thanks for reading!

The Beta, Have a Little Feith, says "Hi" and hopes you are enjoying this story as much as he is.


	27. We Are Awake

I should say something. Get some polite conversation going while we head to... wherever it is we're heading. "So, Roland-san, where we going?"

"First, the shopping district. There's an abandoned bike shop there that holds our transportation method. After that we'll be going to Arisojack, capital city of the Jakkai plane."

Bike shop? "So... Okay, hold on... We're going to _cycle_ there?" A mad, cackling laughter echoed in my head. "I'll take Jackie-boy's laughter as a 'no'."

Roland's face brightened. "Jackie-boy, is it? I like that. You know he's still aware on our side too? Only difference from how he is normally is how he seems to be constantly daydreaming. Sorry, I digress. There is a temporary portal to the Jakkai plane in the bike shop. That's how we'll get there."

"And I take it this place we're going is in the demon world?" I asked.

He frowned slightly. "In a sense. Calling it the demon world isn't quite accurate. It's basically a great open void, dotted with habitable places we call 'planes'. There seem to be an infinite number of them and the Jakkai nation call one in particular home. It is there we will be going."

… Okay. Filing that info away for future use. "And this friend of yours you're going to introduce me to is..."

"Also inaccurate. Sorry. There are several people you'll be getting to know today. Serph you have been told about. There will be four others like him, five if you include myself. Then two more who are different, if only slightly. There is much we need to discuss but it wouldn't be right to start telling the others' life stories before you've even met them. Suffice to say they are allies and are willing to help you if they can."

=Guess I'm not invited to the party. Figures.=

-What are you complaining about? You'll have no choice but to crash it anyway.-

=Oh, yeah! I forgot. State secrets and all that. Can't have an outsider knowin' 'em.=

-... State what now?-

* * *

The so-called portal to the Jakkai plane was somewhat underwhelming. You hear the word 'portal' you think 'colourful swirling doorway with sparks of electricity and other cool stuff'. None of that. It was a doorway. No door, just the frame. And just like any other doorway you could see what was on the other side. As a concept it was amazing that this particular doorway went from one world to another but I was expecting something flashier.

With actual flashes, maybe. But noooooo.

What I saw on the other side of the portal was almost as underwhelming. Gunmetal grey hallways with one orange stripe painted on each wall about halfway up.

That's it.

"Okay. Demon world. Looks like a military base. Oh, the wonder!" I muttered.

"It _is_ a military base." Crap, he heard me! "Well, in a sense. We work for what you might call a... _specialised_ branch of the Jakkai military."

And once again I find myself in dangerous circumstances. Not even surprised anymore. Just roll with it.

After following Roland for a few minutes and descending a few floors we came to what must be the main entrance to the building we portalled into. What I saw on the other side was...

Breathtaking.

The base itself must have been on the outskirts of Arisojack because you could see the skyline from where we stood. Skyscrapers not unlike what you would find in many modern metropolises. The shape of the skyline actually reminded me a little of Chicago, making me a little wistful remembering the short time I spent living there. That was where the similarities ended, however. I could see various areas of the city had taken on different appearances. One of the nearer areas had buildings covered in a sheen of frost and capped with snow. Another seemed area seemed to have a radiant glow to it while yet another seemed to have taken on appearance... corrupted is the best word I can think of to describe it.

And then there was the skyscraper that seemed to be constantly on fire. It may be some kind of terrible disaster but no one seemed too broken up about it.

"Seta, over here." Roland called, standing next to a... car... type thing. Roland indicated for me to get into the back while he got into the driver's seat. A third, unknown person... or demon – damn, do all of them look human? - sat in the passenger's seat.

As soon as I shut the door behind me I heard a voice both inside and outside my head. "=Hey, boss!="

… I think I'm gonna be sick.

"=Aww, don't be like that, cutter! Best friends, you and me, right?="

"No, I mean hearing it both inside and outside. It's incredibly disorienting."

=How d'ya think I feel? I can see through both your eyes _and_ mine right now. Makin' me dizzy.=

"Fine. I'll close my eyes. Better?"

=Much. Thanks, cutter.=

"I get the feeling having you take him back to the portal would be a bad idea, Jack." Roland said.

"What gave you that idea? The fact we both feel all funny when we're around each other?"

"Why, Jackie-boy! I never knew you cared." I commented with as much sarcastic affection I could muster.

"Sorry, berk. I look nowhere near enough like a 12 year old boy to suit your tastes."

"Stow it, snowball!" I snapped.

"Make me, uh... err... silver... fish. Dammit!"

-Ha! Weak! I win!- I grinned smugly, eyes still closed.

"We're here."

I don't know when we stopped moving but I could hear Roland opening his door and stepping out so I followed, opening my eyes again to see a nondescript building. Slate grey like the majority of the city. It must've been in one of the less populated areas since there was almost no foot traffic.

I don't think winged girls in swimsuits flying past counts as foot traffic. But now that I think about it, I should find out where they hang out. Intelligence gathering. Demonic research and whatnot.

Yeah.

"Snowball, stay!" Roland commanded with a twitching lip, probably fighting back a smirk.

The sound of Jack grumbling could be heard from the car. Roland leaned toward me as we were walking to say "Technically it's still an order so he has to do it. I expect he'll be waiting for a way to get back at me though."

"You remember he's still in here, right?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. Also, bring it on, Frosty. I'll be waiting."

The response was only more grumbling inside my head.

* * *

"Hello, Seta."

Oh.

Ohhhh, not again. Not doing this again. "I'm you. You're me. Happy?"

Everyone in the room – quite a few people now that I look around – went silent, eyes wide.

…

"Well... dat makes tings easier." Said the one with blue hair in dreadlocks.

Wait, was that a Jamaican accent? What the-?

"Ahem", Roland cleared his throat to get the room's attention. "Seta, why do you think he's-"

"He's my shadow. Or one of them. He looks exactly like me except he has solid... yellow..." Wait... "Your eyes are silver." I finished, staring at my copy.

"Yes. They are. Much like yours." he answered. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Serph."

…

-JACK!-

=Hey, you only asked if he looked like your dad.=

-And he _does_! Just like _I _do!-

=I said his hair was different!=

-Jf... Fjijf... AAAAUGH!-

"So he really _is_ like you guys, huh?" One of the other spoke, and the freakiest looking one, too. Much closer to what I think of when I think 'demon'. Half human features, the other half with red skin, a horn and fangs.

"You mentioned yellow eyes." another with green hair and wearing a hood spoke flatly. "You should take a moment to take a look at your reflection." He pointed towards another room, presumably with a mirror.

"Maybe put the spear down too." another spoke. He almost looked human but his uniform matched the one with the horn. And there was a definite threat in his tone.

Not surprising, seeing as I was holding a ridiculously oversized naginata.

Leaving the others without a word, I went into the other room. A small bathroom, as it turned out. In the mirror I didn't see what I expected. Reaching up to my face I saw my hands were clawed again, only confirming what I already suspected given I'd summoned Izanagi's weapon again. However, my eyes were not how Yosuke described them to me the first time this happened. He had said they were like a shadow's; implying sclera, iris and pupil were all one solid yellow colour. My eyes in the mirror showed only the iris as being yellow, the rest was perfectly normal.

"No, not like mine are now." I said to the green haired one when I got back. "And how mine are now just raised a whole bunch of other questions. Thankfully, a certain someone told me you guys might be able to provide answers for some other ones."

"Yes. We should get started. I expect this will take a long time as it is." Roland said. "Please, take a seat wherever you like."

Options: next to green hair, demony demon, the Jamaican or... Well, when in doubt, sit next to the pretty lady.

The pretty lady with a tattoo on her left... "Ahem." she said, not actually clearing her throat.

"Uhh, sorry. It... It catches the eye. I-I mean the tattoo, not your- not that they aren't lovely, I-"

"Sit." she spat. Leaving 'before I end up killing you' left unsaid.

I did as ordered, not even daring to glance in her direction after doing so. Roland sat next to the Jamaican.

"So, the best place to start would be who we are. And, by extension, who you are, Seta." Serph began. "Every person in this room is human." I glanced at horn-boy and he looked back at me with a smirk. "However, that is not all we are. It didn't happen to all of us the same way but after a certain event, we all found ourselves irreversibly changed. We are hybrid; souls of both a human and demonic nature.

We are the Awakened."

* * *

A/N: Soooooo... Who thought I was dead? Anyone? Okay. Who thought the _fic_ was dead? Everyone. Not surprised. Writer's block. Bleh. Moving on. Short chapter. Just wanted to get something out since... 2 months, y'know?

Every **REVIEW** has an answer. (New Layton game. Yay!)

**slicerness**: It was Deadly Premonition, actually. Good game. Weird game but good game.

**MagnusRagnar**: Subconsciously? I might have based Seta's powers off atma. Someone actually pointed out it was similar and it's spiralled out from there. Admittedly the parents issue is a bit cliché but... well, I'm stuck with it. And I'll try to make it interesting.

**Vegeta the 3rd**: Seta spent most of his afternoon investigating before they even went into the TV. By the time they got to the bathhouse they were already running low on time. As for Yukiko, the game makes it pretty clear that she's the smartest of the group. Yosuke's a moron (not so much in this fic though), Chie's so-so and the protagonist is as smart as you make him.

**AluciusDawn**: I don't really have much of a response to your review but you put so much effort into it it's hard to leave it unanswered. I'll try to keep your comments in mind.

Droplet of Sour: Your snide comment was so pointless I'm not even bolding your name. Neener-neener. Leave an actual review next time.

**Duke of Games**: Maybe? Probably not. I doubt I'm ever gonna play it but we'll see if it adds anything I can use.

Reviews done.

Thanks for reading.


	28. Life Altering

"Awakened, huh? Cool name. So you're all half-demon then? Like Dante?"

Roland answered me. "Not precisely. There are many works of fiction that involve half-demon characters. However, that is part of their... personality, for lack of a better term. Their souls are entirely demonic. We, on the other hand, were human. But now we are that and more. Or at least... that's how _I_ like to think of it."

"Huh." was my only response.

Wait...

"You said... Everyone in this room..."

Serph frowned. "Yes. I'm sorry."

If I were being honest with myself, I'd realise this was exactly what I was expecting. But honesty is overrated. "How...?"

Serph shrugged. "We have a theory but no way to test it. It will require some explanation and some history. If you're willing to listen?"

I nodded for him to continue.

"Myself and a few others here were among the first of us, though we are certain there were others before us. Myself, Argilla," he gestured in the pink-haired girl's direction, "Gale," green hair, "Cielo," the Jamaican, "and one other were the leaders of our tribe. We were called the Embryon and lived in a place known as the Junkyard where we battled with other nearby tribes. On an otherwise insignificant day we discovered an unknown object in neutral territory and were attacked by another tribe. Then something strange happened. None of us remember the specifics but can piece together what occurred.

We Awakened. And slaughtered the other tribe.

After recovering from the after effects of our Awakening, we found a young girl unconscious inside the object we had found." He glanced in the direction of a dark-haired girl I hadn't noticed before. "We had no idea who she was or where she came from but felt compelled to find out more so we brought her back to our base. What we found there... wasn't pleasant. Many of our tribe had gone mad. Attacked each other. They complained of a hunger they couldn't control before attacking us too. Unknown to us, the girl had woken up and, seeing what was going on, started to sing.

It was the most beautiful sound we had ever heard. The members of our tribe seemed calmed by her voice, as were we. If we had been thinking clearly, we may have realised that it was not just good fortune that gave us a cure for whatever ailment we were suffering. But we were at war. We were determined to find out what our enemies had done to us, unaware they were suffering the same fate.

A few of us attacked the base of the tribe we encountered before. Terrified as soon as he saw us, their leader fled further into the base. Screaming. Calling us monsters. We chased him down, fighting our way through his followers before cornering him. My second-in-command, Heat, seemed to lose control and attacked him, demanding answers about the girl we found. The symbol on his arm began to glow red and he started to... change. As did the enemy.

And us."

At this point, Serph looked at each of the people from his... tribe. And I noticed the black marks each of them bore – the ones I thought were tattoos – began to glow, luminescent veins spreading out from them. As this went on, they began to grow and change taking on different forms.

Cielo; the Jamaican, changed into what had the basic shape of a man with blue skin. His most prominent features were the wings replacing his arms that resembled those you'd find on small planes. He turned out to be one of the more normal-looking ones.

Gale; the green haired one, covered all but his legs and head with a green cloak. One of his feet had a spike stiking out of the toe which he would then use to balance himself instead of on both feet. His head was was entirely made up of a large mouth, splitting vertically from crown to neck.

Argilla... Let's just say I won't be staring at her cleavage anymore. It's liable to eat me. And that whip attached to her wrist doesn't look friendly either. Her skin resembled a pattern you might use for desert camouflage.

While Cielo's looked ordinary for a demon form and Gale and Argilla looked downright bizzare, Serph looked pretty badass. A black and grey body covered by a white exoskeleton that included a full crown shape on top of his head. Blades were concealed in his arms that appeared to fold out at will.

I glanced at the naginata I left abandoned on the floor. _Pfft_.

… Huh. Funny how it's at this exact second, surrounded by what most people would consider monsters, that I realise _I didn't bring my sword_.

Groaning inwardly before putting that thought aside, I asked "What about the other two?" I'd noticed the mark on Roland's hand when I met him and the one on the other girl's face was hard to miss.

Roland answered while the others changed back. "Our part in this comes later. You'll understand when we get there."

As the white veins receded back into his mark, Serph continued from where he left off. "It turned out, whatever happened to us, happened to every tribe in the Junkyard. We became what we are now. And while the power it gave us was not unwelcome, the curse it brought certainly was."

The horned one laughed. "No kidding! You guys bring a new definition to the word 'carnivore'!"

If looks could kill, he would have been a pile of viscera after the glares sent his way. "Thank you, Jimenez. But if I want your opinion, I'll ask for it." Serph stated in a perfectly even tone. Only seeing his eyes told me how pissed he really was.

"As I was saying. Given the choice and knowing what we would become, I believe we would have preferred to stay human. But what's done is done. A side-effect of the transformation was that we would feel compelled to... devour... our enemies."

"Devour... You... ate them?" I asked, really not liking the conclusions I was drawing from my own experiences.

Serph's eyes continued to be the only part of his face to betray any emotion. In this case, shame. "Yes. Heat saw little problem with it. Gale, ever the pragmatist, saw it as necessary to survive and understood we grew stronger every time we... fed. Argilla outright refused. As we continued to fight our way through the Junkyard, we found the outcome of this approach. Another tribe's leader also refused to eat. She eventually went mad, lost control of her form and started eating her own followers. We called her an ally. A friend, even. In the end, she died by our hands.

And then we devoured her too."

Silence descended on the room. I don't know what Serph was waiting for. For me to judge them, maybe? Call them monsters? Run? Attack them?

Whatever he was waiting for, I assume it wasn't for me to leave for the bathroom again. I slammed the door shut behind me and slid down it, resting my head in my hands.

-So... How much did you already know?-

A pause. Then, =About as much as you do now. Guesses. Conjecture. Nothing concrete.=

-But you suspected.-

=Hard to miss the signs, cutter. Even you could see them.=

…

=So, how much time d'ya need? I'll keep 'em off your back.=

-Just keep 'em out. I'll go back, I just... need a few minutes.-

I pushed myself up and off of the door towards the middle of the small bathroom. Seeing the mirror again, I leaned on the sink below it and just stared at my reflection.

My irises were still a vibrant yellow, proof that my form hadn't shifted back yet (as if the claws weren't proof enough). Other than that, all I could see was my own face. Save for that one detail, I could pretend I was... normal.

I slammed a clawed fist into the mirror, shattering it, knocking it off it's fixtures to fall into the sink.

Human...

Another fist into the concrete wall behind it. And another. And another. The surface starting to crack slightly under the punishment.

Anything other than a monster.

What do I tell the others? Do I tell the truth? 'Hey guys, turns out I'm really a cannibalistic demon that has to eat other demons to survive! Wanna get lunch?'

… Well, it's not like I could hide it. One of my shadows'd probably shout it from the foggy rooftops first chance they get.

… Most of it. I'll tell them most of it. They deserve that much, at least. But I don't think I could ever willingly tell them everything. They'd understand my hiding the worst part. I wish I could trust them to not abandon me if they find out.

But let's face reality. I've known them for just over a month. I know from experience how easy it is to write off a relationship that short.

…

I should get back out there.

* * *

"Okay." I spoke as I rejoined the others. "I figure you figure I figured it out." … Yeah, that made sense but it was still needlessly confusing. Need to get my head in gear again. "I did. Jack confirmed it. So that settles the 'what'. I take it you've still yet to tell me the 'how' and 'why'?"

Serph closed his eyes in acceptance. "Our 'how' is only a theory. As for 'why'... we have nothing better to offer than fate being especially cruel."

"I don't buy much into fate. So let's leave 'why' unanswered. So... how?"

"If we may continue where we left of, I promise you we'll get to that." he answered.

I nodded and returned to my seat next to Argilla. She moved to put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I turned just enough to look her in the eye.

"Don't."

Her brow furrowed; nonetheless, the hand retreated. I returned to watching Serph, waiting for him to get on with it.

Ignoring the previous interaction, he did. "The tribes of the Junkyard continued to fight until only the Embryon were left. What we had been told was that the victorious tribe would then ascend to Nirvana. We didn't know what that really meant beyond leaving the Junkyard, something we were all eager for. We managed to escape the Junkyard but were scattered in doing so. The magnitude of what occurred that day is perhaps one of humanity's greatest achievements.

In truth, the Junkyard was a simulation, the tribes populated with AI constructs. In escaping the Junkyard, we emerged as you see us now. Living, breathing souls. Artificially made, but as alive as any other man or woman. Serph Sheffield was a horrible example of a human being and should be villified for all eternity but the result of his work has likely never been surpassed."

… Okay? That was... a curveball. So they were computer programs given souls. "Serph Sheffield? Your creator, I assume?"

"Not quite. Sera", he pointed to the dark-haired girl, "was a test subject under his... 'care'. She created us as an escape from what he was doing to her, based on the people she knew in the lab. I was based on Sheffield, initially designed to be the way she saw him. Calm, calculating but kind. Nothing like he really was."

… You've got to be kidding me. "So let me get this straight. Sera created all of you. In a sense, making her your mother." Serph cringed at this but the others nodded. "Which would make the one you were based on, in your case Serph Sheffield, your father."

=I should stop going on at you for the detective stuff.=

"Oh, sweet kami I'm _right_ aren't I? 'I'm you and you're me', I was more right than I ever could've imagined! So, what? We're talking reincarnation, then?"

Serph gave a sideways nod.

"But you figure something went wrong. Because you're artificial? Or because of being Awakened?"

The green one, Gale, spoke up while touching his forehead. "Being Awakened seems the more likely explanation. Were we not, we would be souls like any other. Further, we would have been dead long ago."

Roland continued for him. "You see, no one really knows what happens to human souls upon death. Demons can see each other's souls and can recognise them when they return after being reincarnated. But Awakened... we aren't full demons so we can't go where they do and we aren't all human either so whatever happens to them probably won't happen to us. We are as immortal as any demon but if we die, our souls could very well tear themselves apart."

"So I'm immortal but no afterlife if there is one? … Wasn't really expecting one anyway. So call that a plus." Just need to not die.

After a few minutes of silence Serph spoke again. "So do you have any more questions?"

=Psst! Ask about this, cutter!=

-Hm? Oh. Right.- "What about this mental link?" I asked, tapping my head.

Serph nodded. "Another theory, but we suspect it may be your soul recognising itself in this world and trying to reach out. Why it still works when you're on this side; perhaps once the link has been made it cannot be broken so easily. But that is just another theory."

"Oh. Hooray for finding my soulmate then." I stated sarcastically. Only Jimenez laughed. Oh well. "So you guys can control how you transform? How?"

"Ours work differently to yours. Ours are controlled through our Atma markers – these tattoos." Serph pointed to the mark on his face. "You got your abilities through another means and it's unstable. It will probably stay that way for some time. There is a fix we could try..." he trailed off.

"Yes?"

He hesitated. "While your abilities are unstable they require less... maintenance than ours do. You do not have to hunt as we do. Eventually they will stabilise and you will need to but... This fix. It would be to give you your own Atma marker. It would make you like us in every sense. And there would be no going back."

So I would need to... Oh. "I... I need to think about it."

Serph nodded, smiling slightly. "I understand." And I bet he really does. "We will have someone assigned to our side of the portal at all times. When you have decided, simply return and they will call for me. In the meantime... I believe it may be best to cut this meeting short. This has been enlightening but I don't doubt it has been draining. Roland? If you could escort him back?"

"Yes sir." Roland acknowledged, leading me to the door.

* * *

The ride back was as awkward as the one getting there. =Well that was fun!=

-Hey, Jack? Why don't you look like your card? That looks like a toy or a mascot. You just look like an albino soldier. Save for the eyes and fangs, anyway.-

=Used to look like that. But that was before the King Frost got taken down. When Blackjack and the Jacking took over, we all... I dunno. Evolved, I guess?=

-Huh.-

The rest of the trip was silent blackness, since Jack was still whining about his double vision.

* * *

As I went to walk through the portal, Roland stopped me. "Before you go back, there is one more thing you should see."

He led me down an ajoining hallway, towards a high security door. Complete with eye scanner, handprint scanner and another device I didn't recognise. Roland positioned his eye over the scanner, then transformed himself into what looked like a bulkier version of himself in blue and brown, a ring attached to the top of his head and some... thing on his right arm. He placed his left palm on the handprint scanner. Then finally sent an electric charge into the third device before transforming back into his human form.

Completely ignoring how odd that was, Roland gestured for me to go through the now open door. The room on the other side was filled with large, sealed glass containers, most of them empty.

The contents of one in particular caught my eye.

"... Tink?"

* * *

A/N: A week! Can you believe it? Quickest turnaround in months! Though to be fair, the last one _was_ months. Still, chapter! We still have one more chapter before we get back to our regularly scheduled social linking (ugh). Stay tuned for the finale of the Awakened mini-arc!

… Coming up with quotes for these is getting harder... Ummmm... Jeez this is gonna be obscure. And reaching.

You never know until you're **REVIEW**ed. I get that now.

**Patcheresu**: I'm not surprised. The concept is very similar. Not that the Embryon will show up in my _other_ story. Or rather, I have no plans for that to happen.

**Livin'A-Chain**: Plenty of Serph and Seta interactions in the future. Promise. Souji Sr. will show up eventually but it's a loooong way off. As for the crossovers, I played the games I'm including. SamJaz didn't, so had no qualms about ignoring canon elements he didn't like. I'll be doing that too (you haven't seen the end of Serph's story) but I'll try to make most of it fit.

**Chemical Fire**: Ooh, goody! A caustic critic! It says a lot that someone who just tears people down decided to expend energy to try to tear _me_ down. It's like saying 'Hey! People are noticing you! Maybe you should do better for them!' Once you get past the vitriol, anyway. Thank you, Chemical Fire! I will!

**REVIEWS DONE**

As always

Thanks for reading.


	29. Should We Panic Yet?

'It's okay' they said. 'We only want to help you', they said. Oh, yeah. Holding one of the only beings that has been genuinely on my side as a hostage shows just how they're 'helping' me.

Aside from being unconscious and encapsulated in a glass case, Tink looked the same as she always had. Unnaturally red hair, vibrant green eyes, pale skin, translucent wings and wearing an odd, blue, swimsuit-like outfit. Same as she's always been.

Except now she's silent. And not moving.

I spun around to face Roland and glare at him. "Explain."

"These anger issues you have really aren't healthy, you know-"

"Try that line when you aren't keeping my friend captive. I say again, _explain_."

Roland sighed a deep, weary sigh. "Fine. Short version? The Fairy clan was attacked. By who? We don't really know. No one does and that's a very big problem. All we do know is that Tink here was one of their minor targets; we assume due to her connection to you. There's no evidence to support that but as far as we're aware, that's the only thing that makes her important enough to gain the attention of a group who can decimate one of the oldest demon clans. While their attempt to get hold of her was unsuccessful, that doesn't mean they won't try again. So we're keeping her here for her safety. Even if they find out where she is, it's unlikely they'll attack the Jakkai. No one wants to take on a member clan of the Armageddon Pact."

Okay, ignoring the stuff I don't care about: someone wants her for nefarious purposes, failed to get her, so they're keeping her safe here 'cos no one has the balls to take on the Jakkai yadda yadda etcetera. Okay. "So you just keep her here until you can find who the bad guys are?" I can live with that.

"Unfortunately... no. I'll be perfectly honest with you here. And I'm probably telling you something you aren't supposed to know. Our Regent is fairly certain you'll have some power over us in the near future and could do the Jakkai some serious damage if you wanted to.

We _really_ don't want that. So we're trying to get on your good side early. That means keeping Tink safe. However, this is a very... diverse nation. We have citizens from many clans all living in one space and we don't know if it was one of those clans who's after her. Attacking head on would be near impossible but infiltrating this base? Much less of a problem. A fair few of the higher ups are on edge thinking you'll be vindictive if she gets taken."

".. Yeah. Probably right about that." I answered. "So what's the new plan?"

"You take her."

"... Come again? How exactly is that _safer _for her?" I asked.

"Speaking cynically? It's not. It just means you can't blame us anymore if something goes wrong. Then again, from a practical standpoint, there are very few groups who would attack humanity. That's a dangerous move without backing from some real heavy hitters. Plus, if they wanted to go after you and yours, they already would have. They're keeping their distance for now so it's safer for her to be in the human world than here, where it's already been proven they won't hold back."

Damn. I hate practical arguments. They work too well. "You guys will still be looking into who did it?"

"It's in the Jakkai nation's interest to do so." Roland answered.

"Wake her up."

Roland nodded and stepped over to a control panel, flipping two switches and pressing two buttons. Some type of gas filled the container before dispersing. Then the metal apparatus keeping the container sealed released and the glass front swung open. Inside the now open container, Tink opened her eyes slowly, a flicker of recognition in them as she spotted me.

Before launching herself in my direction.

"I'msorry! I'msorry! Theycameandtheyweretoostrong! Couldn''tsavethemand... I'msosorry!" she wailed into my chest, tears streaming down her face and soaking my shirt.

"You don't need to apologise. I'm sure you did everything you could." I answered gently, trying to piece together everything she said. "Roland? What exactly happened to her?"

"There was a Jakkai delegation there when the attack happened. Some diplomats, a couple of soldiers and Gale; as close to a neutral party as could be found within the Jakkai nation. When the attack hit, Gale was talking with her. She got caught in the delegation's evacuation procedure. When she found out what happened, she tried to go back, refusing to listen to reason. We found out she was a target when the delegation was sent back to offer assistance to the weakened clan and explain Tink's situation. Turns out they decided it was too much of a risk to let her return home since acquiring her was the only thing the enemy didn't manage to accomplish in their attack. So unable to send her home and unable to make her a citizen of the Jakkai, we put her in stasis until the danger passed or a better option came along." he explained, giving me a meaningful look as he said the last part.

I sat down on the floor and let Tink say what she wanted to say. Most of it was unintelligible. Talking fast is the norm for her and she was too distraught to slow down for me. Still, I got the important parts. She felt guilty for not being there for her clan when they needed all the help they could get. That was why she asked me to help her get stronger. So she could defend the people she cared about.

Sounds like someone else I know, now that I think about it.

Tink eventually calmed down, though her tiny form continued to cling to my shirt for dear life. Seeing that she was exhausted but still awake, I started speaking. "Tink, I know you want to go home. I would too. But... It's not safe for you there. If you go back, your home might get attacked again. I know you want to go back and help but it would be safer for you and for your home if you didn't."

"Nowhereelsetogo. Notgoingbackinthetube."

"No, we're not putting you back in the... tube. Roland here made a suggestion that... you come with me. What do you think?"

She looked up at me eyes wide and let go of my shirt before floating back and up to eye-level with me. "Summoningcontract?" I nodded. "!" And she tackle hugged me while I was still trying to figure out what she'd said. Thankfully she only weighs about twenty pounds.

"Well!" Roland said suddenly. "That went better than I expected. Here, you'll need this." He handed me a small glass tube. "It's called a kuda. Demon summoners use them to hold their demons. While most humans can't see demons, I'd still recommend keeping Tink in that when out in public. Certain parties who could see her may become far too interested in you as a result of doing so."

I nodded in agreement. Really it's a similar warning to the one Daidara gave me. We headed back to the portal. As I activated the kuda, Tink was sucked into it in a swirl of green energy. I assumed that was supposed to happen since Roland looked unfazed by it.

"I know this was not the best way for us all to get to know each other but I hope you do not hold what happened to you against us. If we could undo it, I swear to you we would." Roland said.

"You've been up front with me so far. We'll see how it goes." I shrugged, attempting nonchalance, then walking through the portal.

* * *

"So... I have something I need to tell you guys. I've found out what's causing what's been happening to me and... I need you to not freak out about it. Okay?"

Breathe. Breathe.

"It turns out that... I'm not... entirely human."

My reflection in the mirror offered no response. But even _it_looked sickened by the revelation.

I don't think I can do this.

* * *

{05/20/11: Saturday}

* * *

"Hey Seta! You feelin' alright, man? You look a little pale." Yosuke said as we were walking to school.

"I know what's been causing my arm thing. I need to talk to you guys after school."

"Hey, that's great news! So is it a part of that 'zero' stuff or-"

"I'll tell you later."

The rest of the walk was silent.

* * *

I suggested we find somewhere secure for us all to talk where we couldn't be overheard. After shooting down the usual suggestion (the school roof), Yukiko decided that the most secluded place we knew of was the TV world. At the time, this seemed like the perfect solution.

"**Fúin Jutsu: Shiki Fujin!"**

"I fucking hate you." I grumbled.

My thanatos aspect shadow, currently dressed in a Naruto cosplay and _still_ forming handseals (he's surprisingly committed to this gag), smirked.

Then – surprise surprise – the other one showed up. Dressed in...

Dressed in...

Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding. "And he's dressed as a Bleach shinigami. Of course he is. Isn't this gag a little... I don't know... overly complicated?"

Thanatos aspect just shrugged. **"We had a better idea. But it might've offended some people's sensibilities."**

"**Cosplay is fun!" **Superego exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

I looked at the very confused expressions of my friends. "Okay, I have an idea. Let's pretend the last three minutes of our lives never happened. Sound good?"

They still looked confused. But they were nodding. So we moved on.

"You two are annoying. Go away." I said to the aspects.

"**Meh, we had our fun."** Thanatos said as they vanished.

I sighed and looked around. Wonder where Teddie got to? Isn't he usually waiting for us here? Hm. Well I guess the others can fill him in later. Out of all of them, he'll probably care the least. "May as well sit down. This could take a while."

I told them everything that happened yesterday. Save for some key omissions. Namely, the whole 'dietary needs' issue.

Chie just... stared at me. For a long time. Not saying anything. I've never seen her this quiet.

Yosuke was the one to break the momentary silence. "So... why were you freaking out about telling us this? What have you been telling each of us after we face our shadows? You're not quite human. Sure. But there's more to you than that! It doesn't define you! You're our friend and as far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters."

Rather than commenting, Yukiko asked her own question. "Umm, don't take this the wrong way but... Are you dangerous?"

"No more than I was before. My... abilities are unstable, they said. But I still have to choose to use them. So if your question is if I'm dangerous to you guys? Never." After answering the question I stared at Yukiko, then flicked my eyes to Chie and back. Her response was a subtle head shake. A clear enough message, 'don't'.

Of all the ways this could've gone... Well, at least it wasn't what I was expecting. The support was nice. It's good to be on the receiving end. And... And I'm sure Chie will come around.

**=Liar. You know what she was thinking. She just didn't want to say it to your face.=**

-Tch, just let me delude myself for once, would you?-

* * *

From an undeniably heavy moment straight to the celebration with the football team. Got to say I'm glad of the change. It'll serve as a nice distraction from everything that happened since yesterday. Because of our detour, Yosuke and I had to take the train to catch up with the others who took the bus. Thankfully we showed up only about ten minutes after the others and met up with the others outside the train station. Unfortunately things didn't get off to a great start. Daisuke didn't seem pleased with Kou's 'surprise'.

Girls. Six of them. Presumably one for each guy who came on this trip. Gotta give the guy credit if he can set something like this up on short notice.

Daisuke, however, was not amused. "Hey, Kou. What's going on?"

"What does it look like? I set up a group blind date for us!" Kou answered pleased with his efforts and with supreme confidence in his plan.

"Dude. If it wouldn't look totally weird, I'd hug you right now!" Yosuke exclaimed, joining the crowd to high-five Kou.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Daisuke yelled.

The girls, meanwhile, were talking amongst themselves. And not quietly.

"They're from Yasogami High, huh? How'd they get here? By bus?"

"Yeah, that's way out in the boonies. I wonder how they plan on getting home."

"Maybe they're hoping we'll invite them back to our place... Pervs!"

"Well I think they're passable as far as looks go, don't you?"

At this point, Daisuke had had enough. "I'm outta here." he grumbled as he walked off in the direction of the bus station.

I sighed. More drama. Joy. "Yosuke, do me a favour." I handed him some cash. "Set us all up with a private room. Kou, you're with me. This was your idea, after all."

Daisuke didn't seem to be in any rush. So by walking at a brisk pace, Kou and I caught up with him halfway to the bus station. He ignored us until we were right behind him. Then he whirled around to face us. "I never asked you to try to set me up with anyone! I only went because you bugged me about it! Don't drag me into that BS. If you want to get a girlfriend, do it yourself."

"I did it for you!" Kou exclaimed. "You always go on about how 'girls are just a pain in the ass' but it's all an act!"

"Whaddaya mean, 'an act'?"

"You're just scared! You hear that? Scared!"

That comment stopped Daisuke short. "Scared...? Of what?"

"Of girls! You're scared of being rejected again, aren't you?" Kou answered. "That's why you give them all the cold shoulder. You don't have to worry about it if they hate you already, right? And it's no different with football! I can tell you're half-assing it! You did the same thing with soccer last year!"

Wait, what? He is? I suppose Kou would know better having known him for so much longer but... I thought he was already pretty good!

"You're scared to play seriously and hit your plateau. You're scared that if you play hard, you'll be depressed when you can't improve anymore." Kou finished.

"Wha? N-now you're just making things up!" Daisuke interrupted.

Kou ignored him. "You take all the fun out of life if you don't have to feel pain. What's the point of living like that?"

"I don't need you to lecture me about my life! It's MY life! You guys have nothing to do with it!"

"Nothing to do with it?" I interrupted, joining the argument for the first time. "We're your friends, moron!"

"Yeah! Don't talk like we have nothing to do with your life, dumbass!" Kou agreed.

Expressions flashed across Daisuke's face then. From anger, to shock, to shame. "... I'm sorry."

Tense atmosphere fading, we sat down at a nearby table to finish our conversation in a more civilised manner than yelling in the middle of the street.

"Kou's right. Girls are a pain in the ass but I don't hate them... I'm just scared. They come up and say they like me. But then they tell me they can't understand me, they get disappointed and break up with me. Makes me wonder about myself."

"You're talking about that girl you dated in middle school, right?" Kou asked.

Daisuke snorted. "Dated? Tch. I don't think you could even call it that. I still remember... She said, 'You're not the guy I thought you were. The real Daisuke is the one on the field.' When I think about going through all that again, I get scared... Or maybe lonely. It's hard to tell."

"Forget about her. There's always gonna be people like that. But you have to just let 'em go and move on." Kou advised.

… Let them go, huh?

"But... I can't let it go. I still have feelings... What'll happen to them?" Daisuke asked, sullen.

"Ahh, you really liked her, huh?"

"After she asked me out." Daisuke admitted. "But... She was my first girlfriend. I was thrilled! All I wanted to do was to hold her close to me."

"Then you've gotta go settle it. If you don't, you'll carry this baggage for who knows how long." Kou spoke as if from personal experience.

Daisuke chuckled. "You're too nosy, you know that?"

Kou smirked. "Yeah? What of it?"

"... Thanks."

Kou leaned back in his chair, still smirking. "You can be pretty sincere when you want to, Daisuke."

"Yeah. Real heart-on-his-sleeve kind of guy, ain't he?" I agreed.

"Knock it off!" Daisuke complained, though he was smiling.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Strength Arcana._

Man, feels like it's been months since I last heard that.

"Okay. Now that that's settled, let's get back. Won't do to miss all the fun, right?" I asked.

* * *

{05/22/11: Monday}

* * *

Yesterday was kind of uninteresting. I just spent the day working. But today was the first rain we'd seen since Kanji had been taken. The weather report said there'd be no chance of fog afterwards but... it still put me on edge.

Of course, since I was already jumpy, my reflexes ended up faster when I was practicing with the principal. Or maybe I'm just that much better now? I can hope.

Of course, since I was with the principal, I couldn't go to drama club like I intended. But oh well. There's always Wednesday.

Dinner at home was the same as ever. The news was actually reporting on Kanji's disappearance which was a surprise. Of course, they made up a story about bikers looking for revenge or some crap. Damn incompetent journalists... Wouldn't be good for ratings to actually research your stories, would it?

"Hey, Seta? How'd you do in your midterms?" Dojima asked me, glancing at me from behind his paper.

_\_And now, the weather._\_

"Third in the year." I answered, trying to avoid my eyebrow twitching as I said it.

I didn't succeed.

_\_So much for that dry night we were expecting! Looks like this rain won't be stopping until after midnight. We expect heavy fog in the area by morning so be sure to drive safe tomorrow!_\_

… Oh... _Shit._

"Hey, that's great! You know your-" Dojima began before I cut him off.

"I've gotta make a call!" I interrupted, already looking for Yosuke's number.

_\_Hello?_\_

"It's me."

_\_Seta? You're interrupting dinner, you know._\_

"Check the weather report. Now."

_\_Yeah, hang on. Hey, Dad? Could you put the weather on? Yeah, I just need to check someth... Oh _shit_._\_

"My thoughts exactly. Call the others and get to Junes. We don't have much time."

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Muahahahaha!

Observant people might be concerned I'm killing the Chie/Seta ship in this chapter. Honestly, I didn't want to do that this early. Whether I will or not... We'll see… Muahahahaha!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I really did have a better gag for the aspects to use. But it would require the use of a certain G word that a certain author asked me to avoid using. Usually I can get away with it (the character was referring to a deity of an entirely different religion so it doesn't count and other, similar reasonings). If anyone is particularly curious, I'll probably post it in a separate thing. An outtakes kind of deal, I guess.

**REVIEW**ing things is fun and useful! (yes, I'm using Psychonauts again. Shush.)

**Chemical Fire**: Actually, the first thing I did was label you with a term that suits you perfectly. It being a trope was secondary to that at best. Whatever. I still think you're hilarious.

**Pokemon56476**: I pray there are never that many kinds of Pokémon. I could never catch 'em all. Also? Muahahahaha!

**REVIEWS OVER.**

So getting back to the main story now, just like people have been wanting. Wait, this means I have to write fight scenes again, doesn't it? Craaaaaap.

Thanks for reading!


	30. Tick Tick Tick

**8:29**

"So I think I'm gonna head to bed early. Football pracitce starts again tomorrow." I spoke, trying to sound nonchalant.

"No you're not. You're going to meet your friend by sneaking out through the window." _Damn!_ Stupid panicked mindset! Stupid observant detective uncle! "What's so important? No going out after eight, you know that."

Exit plans filtered through my head. Could drop him easily but for several reasons I _really_ don't want to do that. Could wait until he stops paying attention but that would waste too much time that we don't have.

I mentally sighed. This isn't going to go well.

"I'm leaving. I could try to explain why but it would take too much time that I don't have. You can try to stop me but..." I glanced at Nanako. "I really honestly hope you don't. Because I won't let you."

By the look on his face I could tell he understood the not-so-veiled threat. Before he could say anything, I grabbed what gear I'd left on the ground floor before heading upstairs. "I'll be back before morning. Do what you feel you need to then."

**9:03**

"This is gonna go bad. I can feel it." Yosuke whined as he let us into the Junes electronics department.

"Don't worry. It's not like we're gonna steal anything. We're not even breaking in, really. I mean you have your own keys to this place." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can just snoop around in the middle of the night!" he shot back.

"Ugh! Can we just go in? Allowed or not, I don't want to stick around longer than we have to." said Chie.

**9:07**

"Teddie? OI, TEDDIE! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" I yelled.

"Huh. I never would've thought it would get dark in here too." Yukiko stated absently, looking around. She was right. It was as dark in the TV world as it was in the real world, making it even more difficult to see. Wonderful.

"Waah! Sensei! Stop yelling! It's so barbearic! Heheh!" Teddie's squeaky voice spoke from behind us. In the darkness and fog none of us even noticed him.

"You're lucky we're against the clock this time." I grumbled. "We're out of time. In a few hours the fog is gonna lift here. We need to get Kanji out _now_."

"What? Oh, that's bad! That's beary beary bad! Okay, I'll take you to that place again. Stick close or you might get lost."

**9:42**

Dammit, that took way too long. "Alright ladies and gentlemen! We have just over two hours before midnight! We don't know whether that's when things are gonna go to shit but I'd rather not find out. We are not here to sightsee! If you find one of those memory rooms you _do not stop_. _Do not_ waste your spirit energy. We will not have time to double back for a boost so we need to do this in one shot. If we can get past an enemy without fighting, do so. Any questions?"

"What's our exit strategy?" Yosuke asked.

… That's a damn fine question. "Teddie, did you find any more of those gem things?"

Teddie wobbled side to side. "Sorry, Sensei. They're beary rare. Heh. I'm surprised I found as many as I did."

"... Okay. Exit strategy. Plan A. Fight our way back out. Plan B. Find or make a window and jump out."

Chie's eyes bugged out at that. "Are you _crazy_? Jump out a window? Do you even remember how many floors the castle had?"

"Seven or eight? It'll be fine. We'll get as far back down as we can and then climb down the outside the rest of the way. Worst case scenario one of us falls and we heal them when we get back down."

"That is _not_ the worst case scenario!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Fair enough. You guys have from now until we get to the top to give me a better option. In the meantime, we need to move."

**10:12 – Second Floor**

So glad this place has lighting on the inside. Darkness would've made this impossible.

And this strategy is working out better than I thought it would. We've barely had to use any spirit energy so far. Hell, I've only had to summon a persona once. It's still weird how Jackie looks nothing like his card.

=Up yours too, berk. I don't look like a Disney character anymore. What a shame.=

… Uh-huh. Still, was a stroke of good luck getting that rainy shadow's weakness in one guess. Those things are a pain in the ass. On the other hand, running around the entire second floor and having yet to find the stairs is not so lucky. Rounding a corner there was a door at the end of the next hallway.

"Of course. Only way to the stairs and there's a shadow blocking it. Least it looks like a weak one." Yosuke observed.

Chie moved to get the drop on it but it spotted her as soon as she got close and revealed it's real form.

It looked kind of like a huge fat guy with a hole in it's stomach and a key hanging inside. It was wearing a police officer uniform.

Some of these shadows are really fucking weird. Wait, is that a real- "Chie, get down!"

In the shadow's hand was a ridiculously oversized revolver. The kind that has such excessive recoil it would launch either you or just your hand into the air when you fire it. For us, that's an upside. He gets one shot and then he's wide open. The downside is if that shot hits any of us, we'd be _fucked_.

Not so much a weak shadow, then. Just on its own.

Chie dove back around the corner as soon as she heard me yell. Not quite what I said but it works for me. The cop shadow fired his weapon but not only was he too late, he missed, hitting the hot coals nearby and spraying them everywhere.

"OW!"

Okay, so the coals hit Yukiko and burned her a bit but I'm still calling that luck on his part. No way was that on purpose.

Still, while the cop shadow was vulnerable from the recoil of his firearm, I took my shot. Dashing forward, I dropped my sword and dove at him. Or rather through him, through the hole in his body, grabbing hold of the key. Using my momentum, I pulled with everything I had, dragging the top-heavy cop shadow off his feet and drop his weapon as he hit the ground.

Picking up the revolver... I immediately changed my mind on using it. Damn thing was heavy and would probably break my arm if I tried to fire it. "Disarmed and vulnerable. Kill it at your leisure." I said absently as I moved to open the door.

Stairs. Finally.

I turned around to see Yosuke stabbing the cop shadow in the face, finishing it. As the shadow dissolved, so did the revolver in my hand. Least I didn't get drenched this time. "Let's keep moving."

**10:20** –** Third Floor**

I hate these human shadows. Obnoxious, annoying, aggravating, irritating-

=Those all mean pretty much the same thing, cutter.=

-Yeah, yeah.-

"**Ooh, my my! Thank you for your undivided attention!"** said Kanji's shadow, standing under a spotlight and holding a microphone. **"At last I've _penetrated_ the facility. These images are coming to you live from this _steamy_ paradise! But I've yet to have any charming encounters. Could this hot fog be the cause? It's like steam rising from sweat! Mmmm, my body's tingling with excitement!"**

"... Uhhh-huh. We don't care. Let's keep moving." I said to the others before running ahead, only to get stopped by the shadow stepping into my path and my personal space.

And he's only wearing a towel. Forgot about that part until now.

"**Oooh! Someone's eager!" **he said, running a hand down my- Oh god, I'm gonna be sick. **"Slow down, tiger! Why don't you and I spend some time exploring together, hmmm- Ah!"**

The blade of a bladed staff came down in the very small space between the shadow and I, leaving a groove in the floor. Looking to my right I saw Chie's persona Tomoe floating there.

"**Ooh, so forceful! I like that! We'll have to pick this up another time, sweetie!"** the shadow said, blowing me a kiss. **"That elusive thing I truly yearn for... Will I finally find it here? Teehee! Well then, onward and deeper to reach further realms of romance! Let's get going, dammit!"**, he yelled, running off into the fog.

…

…

"A million showers and I'll never again feel clean." I lamented before slapping myself hard in the face. "Right. Traumatised later. Moving now."

**10:45 – Fourth Floor**

"Stop looking at your watch, Seta-kun." Yukiko admonished.

"Sorry." I apologised, lowering my arm. "I just hope there aren't that many floors left. We're running out of time."

**11:30 – Sixth Floor**

Best. Shadows. Ever.

Standing in front of us were three shadows. All identical save for a slight difference in size.

Three giant, black Hulk Hogans. That is _awesome_.

"Element barrage. Centre target. Ice." I ordered. Chie sent a bufu attack at the middle Hogan. No special effect.

"Fire." Yukiko did the same with an agi attack. Same as before, though he looked badly injured. The Hogans finally decided standing around was a stupid thing to do and the injured one and the rightmost one ganged up on Yukiko while the left ran straight at Yosuke.

"Yosuke! All wind now!" I yelled. He ducked under the Hogan's charge and summoned Jiraiya who sent a wave of wind in all directions, outright killing the injured Hogan and knocking the others off of their feet.

"Kill 'em all!" I ordered as I rushed to join Yosuke in slaughtering his Hogan while Chie and Yukiko dealt with theirs. These fights go so much quicker with decent coordination.

**11:40 – Seventh Floor**

"Stupid maze floors with their damn locked doors and their-" I muttered as we found a way around a locked door.

Oh, great. Him again.

"**Welcome to Man's World! This place is heating up from the sudden entry of a fine young man! To celebrate this encounter, I've prepared a special stage tonight! A single match with no time limit! Who will be left standing in the end?"**

Standing behind Kanji's shadow was an even bigger Hogan than the ones we'd fought before. Fifteen feet tall, at least.

11:42... We officially don't have time for this crap. "Yosuke, Garu, if you would."

The wind attack struck home... and the Superhogan barely seemed to feel it. Fantastic. Alright. Didn't want to do this before the big finish but... "Yosuke, persona attacks only. Chie, stand by. Yukiko, support only. Do not get close if you can avoid it." I advised as I removed my jacket. Not ruining another one of these if I can avoid it. "Okay, someone piss me off."

"**Ooh, so forward stripping down right here? But your movements are so _stiff_..."**

"... Much obliged." I practically snarled as I felt the change take place. Though slightly different from usual. Not only did my arms change and the naginata appear, I also found myself wearing Izanagi's coat.

Hm. Just a cosmetic change, I suppose. Though, I'd bet I'm getting closer to a full change.

Not sure how I feel about that right now. But right now isn't exactly the best time to wonder about it.

… Wait... What the fuck am I _doing_? We have less than twenty minutes! We don't have time for this! "Change of plans. When I say go, run for the other door."

Yosuke looked confused for a second until realisation struck and he nodded. "Got it. Just say the word."

"What?" Chie squeaked. "Look at that thing! There's no way we could just-"

"It's like twenty feet tall! There's no way it could fit through that tiny door. We get past it and we're golden!" Yosuke whispered.

Ignoring them, I rushed at the Superhogan head on, naginata pointed straight in front of me ready to skewer one of his shins. That is until he decided to stop me by slamming his fists down where I would've been...

Had the rush not been an obvious feint. Never attack a superior opponent head-on. Took far too long for me to learn that lesson. I dived to the left around the Superhogan's fists, taking a wild swing at his right leg as I did so, leaving only a minor scratch.

Unlucky for me, that was enough to get his attention and turn to face me and attempt to punt me into the wall. I jumped back a few times and waited for him to advance towards me.

Closer...

And...

"GO!" I shouted, getting the others to dash across the now clear path to the exit and through the door. Right, now to get myself there...

In just two steps the Superhogan was on me again. So glad he doesn't bother using his feet much. Dodging his punches is pretty easy since there's so much distance for them to travel to even reach me. I noticed his legs were set apart and there was easily enough space to get through that way. But just because he preferred his fists, that doesn't mean he wouldn't use his legs. It'd be the most embarrassing thing in the world to be killed by a guy clicking his heels together.

… I'm wasting time again.

Dodging to the outside of his next punch, I jumped onto the railing of the coal pits that lined the edge of the room. Perfect escape route. Even if he were fast enough to keep up, any attempts to hit me could miss and he'd end up shoving his fist into hot coals. Upon reaching the door, I ran backwards through it, flipping off Kanji's shadow as I did.

**11:58 – Ninth Floor**

Okay. Benefits of this form. I'm a much better front-line fighter. Much better. Faster, stronger, more competent with the summoned weapon, _better_.

Drawbacks. Can't use the abilities of the persona used. No electric attacks, no support skills. Physical skills can be replicated but aren't as effective.

And I can't summon other personae. That sucks majorly.

And... "Heads up. Midnight. Guard up just in case."

…

…

"Well, that's a relief. Still, we need to hurr-"

I was interrupted by a an ear-splitting screech and the sight of the fog clearing up.

"Shit. MOVE!" I yelled, dashing ahead, shoving doors open and glancing inside to check for stairs. Any shadows I ran into were literally kicked aside and then ignored.

**12:03 – Tenth Floor**

"What? Are you fucking kidding me? We're still not at the top? Agh FINE! Split up and find the god damn stairs! It can't be much furth-"

"AAAAAAAGH!" A blood curdling scream sounded from somewhere above us, followed by absolute silence.

"... We failed." I whispered.

…

=Cutter.=

…

=Cutter!=

…

=Cutter, now is not the time or place to break down!=

…

=SETA!=

-What.-

=Have you forgotten where you are? Yeah, you fucked up. But if you don't get moving now, you and your friends are going to _die_. Snap out of it and get moving.=

… Right. "We need to go." I said, emotionless.

"... Yeah." Chie answered for everyone in the same tone.

Teddie wasn't joking about the shadows going nuts when the fog lifts. All of the clusters were glowing red and moving frantically. They didn't seem overly interested in us but we still did our damnedest to avoid them, reaching the eighth floor. On trying to break out through the wall, we found a similar read and black pattern to the entrance. Only instead of a swirl, it was stripes reminiscent to cage bars. Rather than risk using that (which seemed like a _very_ bad idea) we opted to try to climb the rest of the way down. Getting past the shadows wasn't too difficult so far, after all.

The only time we were caught was on the fourth floor. Upon separating, the shadows (fish type ones this time) all looked mad as hell. They were easier to kill but when Yosuke took a hit he got messed up bad. It took the last of Yukiko's spirit energy to patch him up.

No one said anything when we got back to the real world. Yosuke just went through the process of locking the store back up and we all split up to go home.

Or... we would have.

"I thought you were better than this, Seta. I really did."

He followed me. Of course he did.

"Seta Souji, Yosuke Hanamura, Yukiko Amagi, Chie Satonaka, you are all under arrest for breaking and entering."

A/N: This chapter... was not great. Fighting chapter which I'm bad at anyway and the characters were in a rush so avoided the best fight anyway. I might redo it later but the plot will be identical. Yeah. What happened here really happened. Planned practically from day one.

Whatcha gonna do when **REVIEWS** destroy you! (Hulk Hogan quote. Had to happen this chapter)

**pokemon56476:** I actually considered TinkxSouji at one point. The idea hasn't completely died. Dunno if It will or not. Daisuke's link was more along the lines of "If you're gonna do something, give it your all" or something along those lines. It's a good motto, really.

**Feith:** Thbbbbbbt!

**Frantic Author:** Sorry. Stole that line. From the Big Long Persona 4 Comic. And I like Tink too. Shame there wasn't a reason to bring her up this chapter. Ah well. Thanks for reading.

…**: **Devil Survivor... hasn't happened yet in FESverse. It will, though.

**REVIEWS DONE**

So lots of stuff has to happen next chapter. So it may or may not be a long one.

Thanks for reading!


	31. Wanted Man

We were taken in two cars to the police station. Apparently Uncle called Adachi to bring a second car after we broke into Junes. Yosuke and I were with with Uncle, Chie and Yukiko with Adachi. Uncle spent the majority of the trip lecturing us and trying to get us to talk to him. Neither of us did. I was too busy figuring out how I could've saved Kanji if I'd done thing differently-

=And brooding.=

-... I don't brood.- while Yosuke seemed to just be following my lead.

Since it was well after one in the morning we ended up spending the night in the cells. The horror stories don't really apply when it comes to small rural towns, it turns out. Save for one drunk driver sleeping it off there was no one else spending the night with us. A mixed blessing, really. On the one hand we don't get bothered by meatheads. On the other I don't get to vent my anger on anyone but myself.

Eventually, after a night without sleep (for any of us), morning came around. The real one with sunlight and people getting stuff done. One of those things being done was putting me and Yosuke in an 'interview room' with Uncle. My first thought was that it seemed idiotic to have the 'criminals' outnumber the cop during an 'interview'.

My second thought was 'why the hell did that Naoto guy just show up?'.

"Boys, meet Naoto Shirogane, a... consultant we've recently brought on to assist us with the heavy case load we've been dealing with recently. He... _asked_ if he could sit in on this interview." Uncle said, trying very hard to stay proffessional though he clearly didn't want the boy there.

"So you were a detective all this time then, Shirogane-san." I stated.

"I never did anything to indicate otherwise." Naoto replied politely. "Hello again, Souji-san. Hanamura-san, nice to meet you."

Uncle just seemed to either ignore that interaction or file it away for future reference and moved on to why we were here. "So... Either of you two want to tell me why you two were seen breaking into Junes?"

"Because you followed us?" I answered glibly. "Also, we didn't so much 'break in' as Yosuke let us in using the keys he legally has so he can do his job. Thanks for that, by the way." I finished, smirking at Yosuke.

"Ugh. Are you like this _every time_ you talk to cops? Are you going to do this _every_ time?" Yosuke moaned in response, face down on the table.

"Hey, I was polite the first time. You were too busy waving swords around to notice, I guess." Heh. Let him live it down? Why would I do that? I turned my attention back to the two detectives facing us across the table. "So I'm gonna just go over what probably happened while we were in jail, yeah? You, Uncle, knew for a fact that we didn't actually break the law last night but figured 'Hey, he broke the rules in my house, he can spend a night in the cells to teach him a lesson'. Very parenty thing to do. Good job. But something went wrong. Something like the body of a fifteen-year old boy appearing somewhere. No obvious cause of death, no signs of a struggle, just like the first two. And _that_ would be why you're here, wouldn't it Shirogane-san?" As I kept talking I could see Uncle's frown get deeper and deeper. Clearly this wasn't how he expected this interview to go. Oh well. He isn't that important at the moment. "So tell me. It was raining last night. Did you watch it?" I asked, staring into Naoto's eyes.

He maintained eye contact for what felt like minutes before abruptly standing and turning towards the door. "Thank you Dojima-san, this was most informative." he said before leaving as fast as he could while trying to look composed.

Apparently I rattled him more than I intended. That's... probably really very bad, now that I think about it.

Whoops.

And now we have _this_ awkward situation. Me having not much else to say, Uncle trying to figure out what he should do now and Yosuke just pretending he isn't here anymore.

Hm... Maybe I should follow _his_ lead for once.

Well the drunk from earlier is gone. That's a plus.

So are the others. That's... not necessarily a minus. They have bigger things to deal with right now than wasting time in jail.

So do I but hey, I'm a multitasker!

During my third – or was it fourth? – hour of berating myself for being useless and incompetent etcetera etcetera (getting easier, must be all the practice I've gotten recently), I got a visitor in the form of Adachi.

"Hey, Adachi. Someone want to talk to me again? Shirogane-san's probably stopped being weirded out by now, surely."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about this." he said before smartening up his posture a bit. "Seta Souji, you are being charged with the murder of Kanji Tatsumi. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"

…

"... There are so many things wrong about this situation I'll just pick one at random. Weren't those the _American_ Miranda rights? As in the ones that aren't required in Japan _at all_?" I asked.

Adachi relaxed again and returned to his normal cheery demeanor. "Yeah. But I always wanted to say 'em."

… Verbalising my desire to throttle this guy would be a terrible idea right now.

{Two days later}

Okay, this is taking way too long. What the hell are they waiting for? They should've had me questioned or something by now, right? Besides, the police _themselves_ are my alibi! There is no possible way I could've done it.

… Well... I mean I _could_'ve done it but not in any way _they_ think is possible.

The sound of the outer gate to the cells opening caught my attention during my musing on how ridiculous this whole thing is-

=Don't forget the brooding.=

-Quiet.- so I sat up from lying on my bed-like object to see who it was.

Looks like I have a visitor. "Long time no see, Shirogane-san. They figured out I have an airtight alibi in the form of two police officers followed by the entirety of the Inaba police department yet?"

"Who are you?" he... demanded? That's new. Not seen him be forceful like this before.

"Er, care to clarify what you're asking, there?" I asked, genuinely confused. "You knew more about me than my best friend does just by learning my name. You already know who I am."

"Don't give me that!" he snapped. "Every time I look at you it's like I'm looking at him which is _insane_ because he's _dead!" _His voice continued to rise in pitch._ "_He's dead and gone and he's never coming back so I want to know. Tell me what you know of Minato Arisoto."

=URK!=

"I have no idea who... wait..."

'Excuse me ladies, but I really need to steal this fine young man away from you for a few minutes.'

'Name's Minato Arisoto, by the way.'

'I know people like you. The whole world is yours for the taking and you know it.'

Ohhh fucking wonderful. "I met him once. Well, not so much 'met' as he dragged me off to have a drink with him in a high school laboratory for no apparent reason. It was a few days before he died. And... I have a theory as to why you see something of him when you look at me." I summoned Izanagi's card and let it float and spin above my hand. "I won't attack you. But I recommend you act natural so we don't draw the attention of the guard." I advised before crushing the card in a fist. And with a soft blue glow, Izanagi was floating above me as I lay on the bed.

Naoto's reaction to this was... interesting. "H-how did... You just..." he stammered before his eyes rolled back and his eyelids started to flutter. "Investigating a terrorist attack... Called himself 'the Doctor'... Man pointing a gun at a teacher... Sniper round to the throat... Another gunman with strange powers... Killed him without breaking a sweat... Aniki, who _were_ you?"

His odd... vision... thing ended and he came back to his senses and just stared at me through the bars. This went on for several minutes. I was tempted to start waving my hand in front of my face or clicking my fingers. Maybe whistle. Thankfully, he ended his internal debate and actually said something.

"We're leaving."

Not... quite what I expected. "We are? Like, right now?"

"Yes." he answered, nodding once, then walked back towards the entrance. I got up to see what he was doing. Is he expecting me to just bust out on my own? I mean from what he was mumbling it sounds like his... aniki... probably could but-

Oh. He was just punching out the guard so he could get the keys. That works too.

"So... not that I'm not grateful or anything", not true at all. I'm pretty sure breaking out of jail is a crime in and of itself so I'm now officially guilty of something thanks to Mr Mental Breakdown here, "but why are you busting me out? Especially considering the whole 'not guilty and will probably be released soon' thing."

"No. Sorry, Seta-san. But while I know you're not guilty, everyone else thinks you are. They just want this whole thing over with. They're doing a fine job of making you a scapegoat." Naoto explained.

"First name basis now, are we Naoto-san?" I asked, smirking, as she unlocked my cell.

He shrugged. "Friends break friends out of prison. Everyone knows that."

"You have a strange view of friendship." I laughed.

"So it seems. Feel free to blame Minato-aniki for that."

"Alright, I can get us out quick but you need to trust me and do what I say for three minutes. This is gonna get weird."

"You're not planning on hurting anyone, are you?" he asked, suspicious.

"Nope. We're literally gonna be running for the door. You'll be riding on my back."

"... What."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be a baby. That's not even the weird part. Okay, here we go. Sylph!" I called, summoning the wind spirit to use sukukaja three times. Then I switched back over to Izanagi to change form.

Really need to name that technique.

Now having both of Izanagi's arms, carrying Naoto would be a breeze while the sukukaja would keep me fast enough to escape unscathed. This is the best plan ever!

"This was the worst plan ever." Naoto whispered in my ear as we faced a near-literal wall of cops right outside the stairs to the main floor of the station.

"Hey, Naoto? Remember what I said about not hurting people?" I asked, shifting her into a left-handed fireman's carry and summoning Izanagi's naginata. "I'm gonna _try _to stand by that statement."

"How the hell did he-!"

"Put the weapon _down_!"

"Sorry but... You're in the WAY!" I shouted, dashing forward and slamming headfirst into one officer's gut and swinging my naginata in the general direction of another causing him to duck out of the way.

Ugh, I hate fights where I'm not allowed to win properly. So... anticlimactic.

Straightening up a bit I started swinging my bladed spear in circular motions around me to keep the other three officers surrounding me at bay. Only one was in the direction I needed to go so I ignored the other two and ran at him. He had the presence of mind to ready his sidearm.

Thankfully those sukukajas were still in effect. Making me _fast_. Fast enough to plug him in the head with the blunt end of my weapon before he had time to aim and knocking him out.

Straight line to the finish! WOOHOO! "Later, guys! Good luck catching the _real_ murderer! You guys couldn't even hold me, I bet _that guy_ has to be way worse!"

As I carried Naoto out of the station I spotted Uncle sitting out in the parking lot. Chainsmoking if the cigarette butts surrounding him are any indication. He looked at me as I passed with an unreadable expression on his face.

"You can put me down now, Seta-san." Naoto deadpanned as we reached the shopping district.

Whoops. I'd completely forgotten I was carrying him. "Sorry about the fighting part. I doubt that bit was fun." I apologised as I set him on his feet. He wobbled a bit but managed to stay standing.

"It's fine. So why here of all places? The police will be organising a manhunt right now. Such a public place seems... inadvisable."

"Well, there's three places here I can go to for help. One has information, another an ally and maybe a place to stay, and the third... an escape of sorts." I answered vaguely.

"And you're not going to expand on that answer at all, are you?" I grinned at him as a response. He rolled his eyes. "I thought not. So which first?"

"Information. Any good plan needs solid intel, right?" Not that I have anything even close to resembling a plan yet but hey, call me proactive. "It should be right up he-"

"Seta/Seta-kun!" three voices shouted at once.

Idiots.

"Care to tell me why you three are here and why you feel like shouting my name when I _just broke out of prison_?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry." Yosuke said, not sounding particularly sorry. "And we heard what happened and I figured since this is where that room is you'd come here first."

"Well you were right. Now go home." I ordered.

"Wha-? But we're here to help you, Seta-kun!" said Chie.

"I figured. And... Thank you. That really does mean a lot to me. But right now there's not much you can do. And anything you do to help me will make you look like accomplices. I don't want that."

"But-!"

"Please." I begged, putting as much emotion into the word as I could. "Go home."

They stood staring at me for a few seconds trying to make me back down. It wasn't going to happen.

Yosuke relented first. "We'll clear your name, partner. Count on it." he said before turning and running off.

"Stay safe, Seta-kun." Yukiko said before doing the same.

Chie didn't say anything. The tears rimming her eyes said enough. But she, too, left.

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Naoto broke it. "You have some great friends."

I smiled before sighing. "Yeah. I really do, don't I? Come on, it's this way."

"Welcome... to the Velvet Room."

This... This isn't the Velvet Room. This is... a karaoke bar? A Velvet Karaoke Bar?

"Heh. Wanted to say that for ages. Bet it's so much bloody creepier when Igor does it though, right? I love that old conniving bastard." Wait, I remember that voice.

Standing on the stage was a man in a familiar looking outfit. Shirt and dress slacks. A red waistcoat with the symbols Alpha and Omega ebroidered on it. A red armband on his left bicep.

"So, let's share another drink and talk about how badly you fucked up, Seta Souji."

A/N: ALSO planned since practically the beginning. Now _this right here_ is fun to write! YEAH! Wasn't as long as I was expecting it to be. Oh well. Still had fun with this one.

May you **REVIEW** in peace, little lamb.

**Eggmiester**: The reason the fights are short is because I lose patience in writing them. But if you say so. Deus ex machina? No, it's been brought up before, just not in _this_ story. No, he's not really homophobic. Think of Seta in that scene as the girl in the bar who gets hit on by the skeevy guys who come on _way_ too strong when she wasn't interested in the first place. From what I understand, that isn't fun _at all_.

**Kisdota**: I MISSED YOU, BRO! YAHAHAHA! And Seta got arrested once before wayyy back in chapter 9.

**Livin'A-Chain**: Won't be Igor. Trust me. Letting Igor have that ability would make pretty much all FESverse stories boring. For Seta, it'll be a one time thing.

**NightmareSyndrom**: Tink would be a good way to counterbalance the flaws in his demon form/s (name coming soon). That time she was more of a trump card in case something went very wrong, though. A fresh fighter with healing would be a very good thing to have when things go pear-shaped.

Guess who got all proactive with his writing! New chapter in five days! Believe it!

Merry Christmas! Thanks for reading!


	32. Rewind

"You aren't him. He's dead." I said, trying very hard to convince myself of that.

"You're half-right. Well... I say 'half-right. It's more like four eighths right all separate and mixed in with all of the wrong." 'Minato' frowned. "I think that explanation got away from me there. Nevermind. Come on, take a seat, have a drink! Let's reminisce a bit, yeah?"

So this place is in my head. Therefore I probably can't die here. Probably. Okay. I'll take a chance on probably.

And if he _does_ try to kill me I can bug out.

Satisfied with that self-reassurance, I walked over to the bar and sat on one of the – unsurprisingly blue – bar stools. Behind the bar was a man with the same hair and eye colour as Margaret and was wearing an – all together now – blue outfit.

'Minato' walked over and sat on the stool next to mine. "So what're you having? Make it a good one. Drinks here are _expensive_."

"Will it actually get me drunk?" I asked. "That seems like a bad idea right now."

He shrugged. "I dunno. Won't really matter any though."

… Fuck it. One round won't kill me. "Vodka... Double." What? It's still technically one round and it's been a rough couple of days!

"Good man." he smiled before ordering for himself. "So, how've you been since I gave you a morality lecture and scared the shit out of you?" he asked genially.

I glared at him. "Well I changed schools a couple times then moved here and stayed with my Uncle and little cousin. Then there were some murders and some freaky shit happened with some shadows and personas and this walking, talking bear costume that won't stop making bad puns and then it turns out I'm half demon and I accidentally let some kid get killed and now I'm wanted for his murder and spending my time shooting the shit at an imaginary bar drinking with a dead man. WHAT THE FUCK'S NEW WITH YOU?"

…

…

"Not much. Been a pretty slow year, to tell you the truth."

"AGH!" I yelled in impotent rage.

"Oh, I tell you one thing that happened. I met this whiny little shit at a bar who won't stop bitching about problems that are his own damn fault."

Huh?

"Wipe that confused look off your face. You know I'm right. How many opportunities did you have to save Kanji? Six days you had to get him out of there. How many did you use? One. The last one. And even that was because you realised you were out of time. You know what really pisses me off though? You had a full day on Sunday to go in and get him, or at least make some decent headway into that place. But what did you do instead? Work. Why? Because you wanted to escape. You wanted to hide in mundane tasks to forget about your own problems when you knew – you _knew_ – there was someone who needed your help. And _that_ is why I feel physically ill just looking at you right now."

"...Oh. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, actually." I answered, downing my drink in one and asking for a refill.

"Too right it sums it- Wait, what?" Now it was his turn to look confused.

"I've spent the last three nights in jail. What else was I going to do with all that time other than go over everything I did wrong? I could've gone in on Sunday. _Should_ have, even. Could've gone in earlier on Monday, too. Or we could've stayed inside longer once we found the bathhouse. Any of those scenarios would've given us a much better chance of getting him out in time." I once again downed my drink and blinked away the haze in my vision before carrying on talking. "Missing one opportunity was a minor misstep, two of them would've been pushing it. Three? Three means it was my fault he died in the end. And I swear on my soul, tainted as it is, that I'll never forget that failure."

Minato just looked at me for a second before chuckling a bit. "You really enjoy melodrama, don't you?"

"Pot, kettle, Mr Molotov." I answered.

And we laughed.

I looked down at my glass to see it refilled again. Rather than down it like the others I decided to savour this one a bit. "So... I was right and wrong in multiple different ways, huh?"

"I know what you're doing. Don't do that."

I ignored him. "So you're both alive and dead."

"Seriously. It's only going to cause problems if you-"

I continued to ignore him. "But multiple different ways would mean both of the things I said were both right and wrong."

Minato sighed. "I really can't stop you without killing you, can I?"

"... If you were just going to kill me you wouldn't have taken the time to tell me the reasons I suck." I answered. "So you're both you and not you. And for a persona user – which you are – that's easily explained."

"... Just don't tell anyone, alright. Especially anyone he knew when he was alive. Like I said, it'll only hurt them and cause problems I really don't want to waste time solving."

I bit my lip as I thought it over. "I guess I can understand that." They've done their grieving and to find out he's still alive except not... wouldn't go over well. "So... do you have a name or do I just call you Minato's Shadow?"

"Not quite. Name's Minatos. Nice to meet you." he said, offering his hand which I shook.

"Weak."

Minatos looked affronted. "Weak my arse! It's a great name! Minatos like 'Minato's', get it?"

"No, I got it. I meant literally. Your name means 'threatened' in Latin. So whenever I hear it I'm gonna think you're weak and constantly in danger." I explained.

"Oh, I see. Didn't know that. Though it's a bit weird everyone who hears my name finds some odd meaning behind it." he said. "Also, you've got it backwards, mate. Being constantly in danger and coming out the other end alive makes you stronger than you can possibly imagine. You'll see."

"I'll take your word for it. So was it you or him that I met last year?" I asked. "Just curious."

He started drumming his fingers on the table, probably deciding whether he should answer. "Sod it. Won't matter any if you know. It was me. Minato died at the end of January that year. I possessed his body so 'he' could give them a proper goodbye with some closure. Didn't go quite as planned what with his body rejecting me but it worked out well enough. I was coughing up blood and having regular heart attacks by the time you and I met. Could you tell?"

"I was a bit distracted by my valid concern that you'd stab me in the face with a soddering iron." I deadpanned. "So like I said before, there's gotta be a better reason for your being here than tearing me a new one. So what is it?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink. Should make this my last one, I think.

"Right. Okay. You'll like this, I think. I'm going to offer you a deal. I do you a favour – and it's a really _big_ favour, by the way – and you spend the rest of your year in Inaba working for me."

"Not that I'm suspicious or anything," blatant lies, "but the lack of details are worrying me slightly."

Minatos turned from the bar to face me properly before explaining. "Okay, it's like this. I have this plan. Basically working to make the world a better place. And to do that, we're going to social link the world."

I quirked an eyebrow. "You're shitting me."

"No shitting involved, I swear! Well... maybe a bit in some of the more intimate and fetish-y links but I don't ask for details. I really don't need to hear about that." he shuddered. "Anyway, what you'll be doing in this master plan of mine is keeping tabs on the linkers in the Kyushu region. They'll check in and make progress reports that you'll compile into your own report for the guy in charge of Japan as a whole. Few hours a month of work, max. Not including your own linking since you'll be doing that anyway."

"And what do I get in return?" I asked.

"I'll turn back the clock."

…

"To when."

"You're more accepting of time travel than I thought you'd be." Minatos observed.

"I'm a half demon drinking imaginary vodka in an imaginary blue bar with the shadow of a dead man. To when."

"Saturday."

I didn't even need to think about it. "Deal."

Minatos grinned a wide grin. "Brilliant! Alright then, I'll walk you out. You know, I bet this right here is the start of a beautiful partnership."

"A-aniki?"

"Oh. Right. Forgot about that. OI JUN! Do us a favour! I really don't want to knock out my sister!" Minatos shouted.

Wait. "Wait, _sister?_"

He smirked at me. "Fooled you, did she? Yeah, she's been pretending to be a guy so people take her seriously as a detective. I even taught her some tricks to make it more convincing." He looked at _her _sideways. "Looks like she went with just one sock."

…

-EeeeeeeYEAH! In your face, Jackie! All those damned gay jokes and he was a SHE this whole time! Reverse trap in your FACE! WOO! YEAH! I have a fucking sixth sense for hot girls, motherfucker!-

=Yeah, yeah.= Jack grumbled, clearly disappointed that his fun was ruined.

"Aniki! It really is y-" *thunk*

"Thanks Jun."

"No problem." answered a... man. It's a man this time, I'm sure. A man wearing lipstick and carrying a rose. "I still have problems with this plan, though. Meddling with time is a dangerous-"

"Yes, yes, I know. Dangerous stuff, can't mess with fixed points in time and all that. But we're not messing with a fixed point in time. See, think of time as this big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey-"

"-stuff." Jun finished. "Yes, you've... 'explained' it before. Please stop trying to educate me on my own abilities."

"Well you stop worrying so much! You'll give yourself grey hairs! Just ask Seta here!" Minatos retorted.

Wait.

HEY! "It's silver, asshole!"

"Suuuure it is." he smirked.

Jun rolled his eyes and turned to face me. "Now, Seta-kun, what I'm about to do is send your memories back to your past self. That way we don't have the significant problem of there being two of you running around. Are you ready?"

"You're asking me if I'm ready to travel through time? Really? How could you possibly get ready for that?"

He smiled softly. "We're always travelling through time, Seta-kun. Forwards, one second at a time. I'll be in town for the summer festival, by the way. I hope you'll stop by to say 'hi'."

**SMA-**

Eh?

{05/21/11: Saturday}

"Aww, dammit! I was about to get a new link!"

"Er, Seta? You okay, man?" Yosuke asked.

"... That depends. What day and time is it?"

Yosuke looked even more confused than he already had, but checked his watch anyway. "It's 1:59 and it's Saturday. We're late for that thing with the team, remember?"

I couldn't keep the cheshire cat grin off my face. "Oh, I remember, all right. We're going to save Kanji tomorrow."

"We are?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

A/N: Yes, this chapter is super short. But you know what? I nailed it. I really, really did. I'll make up for it next time. Also. Hey, Chemical Fire! I name dropped two tropes in this one! Why don't you piss and moan about it? Actually, only one was even half on purpose. The other was just a phrase that fit. BUT STILL! HOW DARE I!

Nothing stops the **REVIEWS, **motherfucker!

**Hishin Trueflame**: Nah. It was Minatos. He was just trying to fake it for Seta. Didn't work.

**Chemical Fire**: Just for the record, I got this guy's review on Christmas morning. You're a class act as always, Chemmy.

**Patcheresu**: … I'm now considering adding an A/N to suggest listening to that music during that scene. It fits so well!

**Mr. Thumbsup**: … Shipping is now set. All I'll say. Nanako persona? No. Flat no. Kenjamin was young but Nanako is FIVE. There has to be a limit. Dojima is a possibility (and I like your pitch, I really do) but he'll probably not be in the main party even if it does happen. More working in the background if things go tits up (and this is FESverse, so things will go tits up).

**REVIEWS OVER**

*sigh* It was so nice to have a buffer. But now it's allll gone. Oh well. New chapter when it's done.

Happy new year! Thanks for reading!


	33. Kanji Tatsumi II

"Are you sure you wish to go through with this? I don't need to tell you, there's no going back once it's over."

"There's not a doubt in my mind. Besides, not like there was any going back to begin with, right?"

After repeating the Okina trip with the football team (and re-doing the link), I had headed straight to the portal to the Awakened's facility. Seems Jackie had taken the initiative and warned them in advance that I was on my way and what I wanted.

It appeared they were only too happy to oblige, based on how everything was all set up when I got there. Two futuristic machines that I couldn't even guess the workings of were standing behind a chair oddly reminiscent of one you'd find in a dental surgery.

Not a reassuring comparison.

… They're basically operating on my _soul_. You'd think a dentist would be less worrying compared to that. Turns out it's not.

"Very well." Serph answered. "The pain should only be passing, you should survive the process."

I quirked an eyebrow. "'_Should'_? I _should_ surive?"

Serph rolled his eyes. "This procedure wasn't exactly foolproof to begin with. Add the fact that you've already begun to change and the persona and wild card thing... There are just a lot of extra variables that make it harder to give a definitive outcome. We're something like... 95% sure. 90% if you're being overly pessimistic."

… Why do people always wait until the last minute before saying these things.

=Harder for you to change your mind then.=

-It was rhetorical.- "Just... Let's just get this over with, please?"

"Of course. There's just one more thing."

I felt a sharp pain, then nothing.

{05/22/11: Sunday}

"Alright! This time I came prepared! We have food, we have caffeinated beverages and we have two backup plans for if something goes wrong! Only thing we don't have is one of those gem things to get us out again. But we can do this! WE CAN DO THIS!"

"Seta-kun, calm down!" Chie admonished.

"She's right, man." Yosuke agreed. "I mean I'm liking the enthusiasm but why're you so worked up about doing this today?"

I stopped and just blinked at them for a second before shrugging. "TEDDIE!", I yelled. "Get over here you fuzzy bastard! We gots some rescuin' to do!"

It's almost like time is repeating itself repeating itself repeating itself-

=Stop making time jokes.=

-Sorry.- Still, it's been easy so far. Two floors in and I've had a remarkably good run of guessing the right weakness of every shadow we come across. It's almost like I knew ahead of time.

=... Is it really so bad being like us that you have to distract yourself like this?=

-... Ask me in a hundred years when I've outlived anyone I ever cared about. Including the children I may or may not be capable of having.-

=Hey, I'm not plannin' on going anywhere. So sure. Look me up in a hundred years and we'll reminisce over a bottle of JD.=

-JD?... Ohhh. Jack Daniels, right. Funny.-

=Not really. And isn't this exactly what Roland was talkin' about before? They don't abandon people they consider their own, cutter. Hell, they're still tryin' to get along with the Demi-Fiend even though he's been stonewallin' 'em for decades. He prefers his human side, as I understand it.=

-You digress.-

=Right, sorry about that. What I'm sayin' is they'll always have your back, cutter, whether you join us in the Jakkai or not.=

-Oh. Well... Thanks for that, I guess.-

=No problem. You missed that whole memory thing, by the way.=

-Huh?- I blinked and realised the bathhouse had been replaced by a playground and had been running a memory for a while. Whoops.

"So I missed that whole thing but I'm gonna guess it involved Kanji getting the piss taken out of him by the other kids for liking girly things. Right?"

"Pretty much." Yosuke answered as the bathhouse faded back into view.

"Sheesh, you could at least pretend to care, Seta-kun." Chie admonished.

I opened my mouth for a sarcastic retort along the lines of me being the reason we're here rescuing him today but... thinking about it...

I really don't seem to care, do I?

I mean last time I got so wrapped up in my own crap that I not only forgot about Kanji, but failed him and ended up letting him die. The only reason I have this second chance is from outside intervention. And even now, even with the a second chance that I don't deserve I get all self-absorbed again! Granted about something I did to make sure I could save him but still...

I'm a terrible person, aren't I?

"We... We should keep moving, yeah?" I mumbled as I turned in the direction I hoped lead to the stairs.

"Wait, Seta-kun, I-"

"It's fine. Let's go."

Kanji's shadow was just as creepy flirty as last time. Wasn't a big deal, at least not on the third floor. The seventh will be... interesting. No way am I turning down a fight with Superhogan again.

Still, we have the little ones to deal with. Well, not 'little' but not as huge. They aren't even a big deal with our multi-target skills. Sure they don't have a weakness we can exploit, we can just brute force them instead.

And here on the fourth floor we have our second flashback room of the day. The setting looks like a school hallway and we watched as a younger (and brown-haired) Kanji opened the door apparently to the Home Ec classroom. We could tell by the voices (and giggling) coming from inside that the only occupants were girls. As we looked inside, we noticed all chatting stopped when they saw Kanji.

"Hey everybody, what's goin' on?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly as he spoke.

"Oh hey, Ka-" the girl who answered stopped abruptly when a couple of others glared at her. "... Tatsumi." she finished, correcting herself.

"We were just leaving." one of the glaring girls announced before starting to gather her things, the other girls following her lead.

"Huh." Kanji said, confused. "Well... Okay then. I'll see you later then, I guess?"

"Maybe." the other glaring girl answered as she walked by with the others.

Kanji's eyes followed them as they left. He still looked confused but shrugged and headed into the now empty classroom.

And the image faded.

Sixth floor. And the flashback rooms keep coming. Another hallway in the same décor. So the same school then. Young Kanji looking to be in a heated conversation with not-quite-friendly girl from the last flashback.

"What's goin' on, Mayumi-chan? You guys are avoiding me and I don't know why!" he half-demanded, still in mostly polite tones.

"Look, Tatsumi-", 'Mayumi' started before Kanji cut her off.

"And that! Why're you calling me that? You've _never_ called me by my last name!" Kanji stated, tone becoming firmer despite his cracking voice.

Mayumi's patience seemed to have ended. "Fine! You wanna know why everyone's avoiding you? It's because people think you're weird! Happy? All the guys thought so ages ago but I was fine with it and so were the other girls. You acted just like another one of us and that was just fine when we were kids. But we're not kids anymore! It's weird that you like to sew! It's weird you like to talk about clothes with us! And most of all it's weird when we can walk around without a shirt on and you won't even bat an eye! I wish you'd just start acting like a _man_!"

Rant finished, she pushed past him and stormed off, leaving Kanji alone.

And he stayed that way up to present day, I bet.

"**Welcome to Man's World!"**

"BRING ON THE SUPERHOGAN!" I yelled.

"**So _eager_! I like that! O-kay! A single match with no time limit! Who will be left standing in the end?"**

"Ah'm tellin you, brother! When the giant hits the ground, the whole world will shake at my feet!"

"**Ohhhh yes! Pour out your hot blood and guts!**"

_**FLASHBACK!**_

"This result was among those predicted." I heard a muffled voice say emotionlessly.

"Yes, but if his form has... He can get three others!" another exasperated voice said.

"And like this one they won't affect him unless he-"

"He's awake." a female voice observed.

_Busted_. "So what's this about something not affecting me unless something something?" I asked, unashamed of my eavesdropping.

"You didn't need to... What's the prhase... play possum? We were going to tell you anyway." the female voice from before – Argilla – said. "In fact, you'll find out as soon as you use the full extent of your abilities."

"Oh." I answered. "So... new question. Why am I in my underwear?"

"Ah. Well... As we said, your abilities are different to ours but the basis is the same. During the impantation of the Atma marker, we all shifted to our demonic forms. You were only slightly different in your reaction but you still would've shredded your clothing had we not removed it." Roland explained. "And, incidentally, they're not _ your_ underwear." He paused. "... On second thought, now they are. Enjoy." he finished with an uneasy smile.

"Ah..." I felt my face heat up. Everyone in this room has now seen me naked.

… Everyone in this room includes two hot girls. "Enjoy the show?" I asked them, trying to fight down the blush.

One of those hot girls' breasts have _teeth _half the time.

Ah, sheer terror. A good cure for blushing. Argilla just rolled her eyes and left the room.

"So... What happened that was different?" I asked.

"Well, da marker formed on ya skin, den it went all veiny like ours do." The blue haired one, Cielo, explained. "Den your form went back an' fort' in waves. Den differen' parts went back an' fort' at random... Den... Sometin' else happen'."

"We'll go over that later once you've grasped the simpler part of your new abilities." Serph interjected.

I quirked an eyebrow but decided to go along with it for now. "Okay... So what's the simple part?"

"What you've been doing already. Grafting parts of a persona onto your own body." Serph answered. "It should be much easier and feel more natural. You should also be able to undo the graft without a problem now."

"Graft, eh? I like that... Good word for it. I'll call it a Soul Graft. Finally I have a name for it." That decided, I tried with my right arm. Then my left. Then the naginata.

"Let's avoid a full shift for now." Serph interrupted. "Try to undo those... Soul Grafts, as you call them."

I nodded slightly and focused on my arms, willing them back to normal. It worked.

Life just got a bit easier.

_**END FLASHBACK!**_

The Superhogan moved into a ready stance, his muscles tensing as he was surrounded by some sort of red energy. Looking at it with my... damn, I never named that technique, did I? Knew I forgot something. Whatever, call it 'Aura Sight' for now. Using it, I could see the Superhogan had powered himself up for a single powerful attack. Best to leave the sight on for this fight, I think.

"Getting close would be a terrible idea." I concluded.

"Uh huh." Chie Yukiko agreed absently.

"Yeah. Best to let our personas do the grunt work for this one." Yosuke added.

"Right." I smirked, activating a soul graft in my arms and summoning Izanagi's weapon. "I'm glad we're in agreement." I nodded before charging forward, absently hearing a female voice shout 'Seta-kun you idiot!' as I did.

Okay. I'm giving him a target, I just need to make sure he misses it... or me, as it were. The giant black Hogan made two heavy steps forward to meet my charge only needing that much movement to do so. As I neared I watched him raise a fist into the air, presumably to slam it down on me as I got within range.

However, just as I got within striking distance, a blade dug deep into the Superhogan's foot.

On the other end of that weapon was Tomoe, Chie's persona. The attack was timed perfectly, causing the briefest hesitation in our opponent that I had time to slide between his legs, thrusting upward with my naginata as I did so.

Upward.

From between his legs.

I'll make a public apology to men everywhere at some point.

The Superhogan didn't seem to mind what any man would consider a debilitating injury, however. In fact, it just seemed to make him angry.

… Also a fair reaction to getting stabbed in the junk, I suppose.

Diving from between his legs I spun around and was surprised to see him raise his fist again, prepared to strike the same spot as before but with no target anywhere near...

Oh. Oh _so_ not good. "BRACE YOURSELVES!" I yelled before as the fist came down.

Then another.

Then another.

Rampage. A powerful physical skill. Make a massive impact to create a shockwave of force. Then repeat. The sheer power required means you can't keep it up for long, three hits usually being the limit.

But with that power charge, they were three BIG hits.

"Yukiko!" I shouted, coughing from the pain in my lungs caused by calling out.

"Yes!" she answered. I watched as Konohana Sakuya appeared and felt the healing energy go through me and watched as the others started to move easier again.

It's hard to miss any target with a Rampage. Even distant ones.

Chie smashed her persona card with her foot, resummoning Tomoe and willing her to appear at my side. Controlling it will take up all her attention.

"Sukukaja!" Yosuke called. I felt the familiar boost allowing me to move faster. I fucking love you, Yosuke.

I locked eyes with Chie and made a hand gesture. Index fingers pointing upward then swooping around to point at each other.

Not exactly military but she nodded, seeming to pick up what I was putting down.

The giant Hogan, having had a breather after his exertion started searching for the annoying small thing that had stabbed him in the happy sack. It was at this point that I got up, still achy from the hits I took, and moved around to the Hogan's left, taking a determined swing at the back of his left knee. It made him wince a bit. And brought me to his attention again.

Whoops.

Unlike me, Chie's persona was not bound by that 'physics' stuff and could float freely wherever Chie wanted her to. Thus while I headed left and got a quick (and unfortunately glancing) hit in, Tomoe floated to the right – as per my directions to Chie – and up. Just after the Superhogan turned to squash me like the annoyance I was proving to be, Tomoe moved across his back, scoring a line on it with one end of her weapon in doing so. Her followup stab missed the mark as the Hogan bent forward to avoid the suddenly more worrying assailant.

The Hogan seemed to have had enough. He blindly flung one massive arm behind him, somehow guessing where Tomoe was and swatting her out of the sky. Danger dealt with, he stood straight again and kicked forward with his uninjured leg, striking my chest cleanly and rendering me airborne.

I landed awkwardly, managing to sprain my right wrist and that kick doubtless broke at least one rib. Probably more.

The Superhogan, deciding I was done in this fight (probably would've been if Yosuke wasn't already healing me) turned to the only targets left. Chie, who in her mind took the same hit Tomoe did and was thus vulnerable, Yosuke who was distracted and Yukiko who was usuless in close. Great.

_**FLASHBACK!**_

"Excellent!" Serph exclaimed. "Even at just that we could call the procedure a success in its goal."

I had to agree. No more hiding my hands under gloves after a poorly timed change.

Though I'm keeping the gloves. They've grown on me.

Next I started to experiment. Just a hand. Just the weapon.

I immediately fell to the floor after changing the legs.

Serph tried to hide his amusement. "Ah, yes. Ahem, I imagine it's quite difficult to walk with swords for feet. You'll have to ask Gale for some pointers." he chuckled.

"It does not seem likely you would be able to use those as functional limbs." Gale added, still without emotion but with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Hm." I agreed. "I'll find _some_ use for them, I guess."

_**END FLASHBACK**_

I cancelled the graft on my arms but kept hold of the weapon. Gonna be useful for the next part.

The Hogan had its back to its 'downed' opponent. Perfect.

Doing my best to avoid being noticed, I got back on my feet and dashed forward. Upon nearing the giant I jumped feet first.

Then activated the graft on my legs.

Two blades sank into the soft flesh of the Superhogan's formerly uninjured knee. A third into the back of his thigh.

The giant screamed in pain, scrabbling around, instinctively trying to hold the wounded area and losing his balance, falling forward.

"What're you waiting for? He's vulnerable! Kill this fucker!" I yelled, both 'feet' still stuck in his knee.

That managed to get everyone's attention. And they all went to town, attacking any weak spots they could. His head being _right there_ gave them many ideal targets. I think Yosuke chose the best one, deciding to shove his knives into eye-sockets.

The Superhogan soon dissolved, leaving me with nothing beneath me and leaving me to crash to the floor in a heap for the second time.

I cancelled the graft and just lay there for a while, taking the opportunity to just breathe and ride out some of the adrenaline. Eventually I stood on my real legs. "Okay. Anyone else think THAT WAS THE MOST AWESOME FIGHT WE'VE EVER HAD?" I asked with a grin so wide it hurt a little.

"I KNOW, RIGHT?" Yosuke shouted back with a matching grin.

"WE WENT TOE TO TOE WITH A TWELVE FOOT HULK HOGAN!"

"I STABBED HIM IN THE EYES!"

"I KNOW!" I high-fived him hard. Then did it again with the other hand.

And it still doesn't seem enough to communicate how awesome we both knew that fight was.

"Boys are weird." Yukiko observed as she tried to clean her steel fan of the ichor from when she tried to slash the shadow's carotid artery.

Sigh. Floor eight. Back to ordinary shadows. Makes me sad.

Those wizard things piss me off though. Whenever they do _anything_ someone gets knocked on their ass. So much energy wasted on healing _alone_.

I'm gonna have to have Tink sub in for healing duty soon.

And we're back to Memory Lane again. Woo. This time it's... OH! I recognise this one! The riverbank. And...

What...

The...

Fuck...?

The whole place was filled with dudes in either blue or red cloaks beating the ever-living shit out of each other. I noticed one guy who looked somehow familiar shouting about babies...

… I need a drink. "Yosuke, I'm going to the bizarro liquor store when we're done here."

Yosuke nodded slowly. "Yeah... I'll be right behind you." Suddenly you could practically see the lightbulb appear over his head. "Oh! This must be that thing that got the football team started!" Yosuke announced in realisation.

"Ohhhhh, I see. Now it makes... No. No, this still makes no sense at all."

We heard grumbling coming from behind us. I glanced over my shoulder to see a still brown-haired Kanji; his mumbling getting louder and more coherent as he stalked toward the crowd. "-ucking psycho morons yelling and beating the shit out of each other in the middle of the night keeping everyone awake I'm gonna kick the crap out of all of you assholes if you don't SHUT THE HELL UP!" he finished in a scream as he charged into the fray.

He was actually doing pretty well. He got the drop on two of the red guys, punching one out and forcibly dragging the other to the ground and laying into him before headbutting him, knocking that one out too.

"POLICE! GET DOWN ON THE GROUND, NOW!"

The scene shifted to a police car "HOLY SHIT THAT'S UNCLE DOJIMA!"

The others looked at me. "Uh, yeah? He's a cop, right?" Chie pointed out.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Kanji-kun. This isn't like you at all." Uncle admonished.

"Get bent." Kanji mumbled in response, with a touch of shame on his face.

"I beg your pardon? What would your grandmother say if she heard you talking like that?"

"Like I care... Just as long as this asshole goes down!"

I looked into the window of the police car to see who he was talking about. Dark hair, slasher smile...

Huh. So he met him before. Weird coincidence.

Probably.

Yeah.

I. Hate. Beetles.

Annoying shadows aside, we found what I'm hoping is the last memory room. Funny thing. It was him meeting Naoto.

We may have seen it already, but after all of the other memories, this whole thing has a whole different meaning. Naoto saying she was 'interested'. No one had been 'interested' in Kanji in a long time, everyone writing him off as a delinquent.

Well, we'll need to fix that.

This is it. I can feel it. Grand finale. Big finish.

I won't fail again.

A/N: Maybe it's the whole writing the same thing twice but... This one fought me. Until tonight when I got a huuuuge inspiration in the form of the Reincarnation version of I'll Face Myself. The Superhogan fight was written with only that song playing on loop. I think it came out pretty well.

This **REVIEW** is not pretty at all. It's rough and masculine. Possibly sweaty.

**Ravenwingcorps**: Used the names of, certainly. 'Blatant lies' and 'Reason you suck speech', specifically. And I'd be worried about you if you actively look for them in everything you read.

**Shikyo no Kyoufu**: I'd like to think I provided at least two more of those kind of moments in the Superhogan fight.

**Patcheresu**: Nice. So where's my story's section? =P I kid. Mostly. Igor can't do time travel. It would be broken as all hell to have Seta able to redo everything as often as he wants. As far as I'm aware, Jun is the only FESverse character that can do it. Naoto can't get into the Velvet Room. Line breaks don't work anymore because someone on land doesn't like me.

**Livin'A-Chain**: Nope. The whiny shit was Seta. It's his second most common state of mind. First being 'asshole'. Reverse Trap is not a trope. Or it wasn't at the time of writing 32. I checked.

**NightmareSyndrom**: I've made a mental note. You're right, I could do... something with that. Dunno what yet but I'll give you half the credit if/when I do.

**Dragginninja**: No. Only two people went back. Seta and Jun. Jun because he was the one doing the sending. Not even Minatos would know what happened in the future that wasn't without Jun telling him.

**Songbird of the End**: Never saw Twilight Zone. Sorry. And the names for Seta's skills are set (all five of them, two are in this chapter). Sorry again.

**Waffles**: I might use that line. Again, credit if it's due.

**Fanfic Reader**: I'd have to play it first. So... It's unlikely but plausible.

Phew. Right. Just the next chapter and the Kanji arc will FINALLY be done. Yes, I'm aware it's my fault it took so long. Still.

Thanks for reading! Also, wish me happy birthday, motherfuckers! I'm 23 this week!


	34. Kanji Tatsumi III

"Okay, partner. I think we need to know what you can do before we do this." Yosuke said. "You put on a good show against the Superhogan." Hey, he used the same nickname I did! "Is that everything? Full control of Izanagi's... parts?"

"Okay." I agreed. "I call that a Soul Graft. Fusing a part of my natural persona onto my body. I have full control of it. Then there's..."

_**FLASHBACK**_

"So we've seen your own persona's grafts. You say you've used others before though. Correct?" Serph inquired.

"Yeah. Only once, though, I think. It was Eligor." I answered.

"Fascinating. Do you understand the significance of that?"

I thought about it. "Well, Eligor is a demon from this side, right? Is that it? That I used someone else's form as my own? I mean I could tell it wasn't supposed to happen. It was like my arm was dipped in lava. And I started acting all weird."

"Well, yes. That is part of it." Serph admitted. "But more importantly, Eligor is much more powerful than you are. Even now, when his persona counterpart is starting to seem weaker compared to others. The truth is only a fraction of a demon's power is used by a persona. But what your grafts are, you actually drew his true power into that arm if only temporarily. The very idea of it is frankly terrifying considering the level of demon you'll be dealing with later."

"That bad?"

"Based on the last Wild Card? Several had the power to destroy your world by themselves. That kind of power... I can't imagine a situation where you might need it in your world. I'd advise you not use it." he warned.

"Never?" I pressed.

Serph seemed to consider something. "... Perhaps... Use your connection to check with them first before using their power. I doubt they appreciate being drained of it without warning. I would need to check with Igor on the exact rank you should stop using it but I'd say... somewhere between 40 and 50 it would become dangerous to those around you."

_**END FLASHBACK**_

"I call that the Wild Graft. I'm gonna follow Serph's advice on that one. Jackie gave permission for if I need some help but we'd have to be in some pretty dire straits before I'd even consider it." I explained.

"Right. That everything?" Yosuke asked again.

"Everything I might use in this fight, yeah." I answered evasively. "Oh, and then there's this." I 'remembered', distracting from my last statement easily, holding up Tink's vessel. "You guys remember Tink? My first demon persona? Yeah, I formed a summoner contract with her. I'd rather not bring her out since we haven't had chance to train properly yet but she'll be good for some quick healing in a pinch."

Yosuke shook his head. "What happened to staying out of demon business?"

"The alternative scenarios were... less than ideal for her." I admitted.

He sighed exasperatedly. "Man, one day I'm gonna pin down where this weird noble streak you have comes from."

Hope not. "Sure. One day. Come on, let's get this thing started." I suggested, walking towards the door.

"Janken!" Chie shouted.

Both Yosuke and I turned and blinked at her in confusion.

"You're not getting the fun part this time, Seta-kun! I'll play you for it! Winner gets to kick the door in!" she announced.

"Haaah... Fine. But I'll still win." I boasted.

"We'll see..." Chie replied. I don't like that smirk...

"Saisho wa guu... Janken _pon_!"

I chose rock.

She chose scissors.

I let a satisfied smile spread on my face. "Told y-" I started before my victory was interrupted by a loud bang.

I turned around to see Yukiko had kicked the door in while my back was turned.

And apparently fallen over afterwards.

"Snrk... Hahahahaha!" Yukiko laughed from her position on the floor. "Haha you were sohoho right Chie! That _was_ fun!"

I looked back at Chie in shock to see she was wearing that smirk again. I frowned, then walked over to Yukiko as she continued to giggle to herself. "We're a terrible influence on you." I observed, still frowning, before breaking into a huge grin. "Miss Prim and Proper goes all sneaky and evil! And we're to blame! I _love _it!" I announced with an evil laugh as I headed through the door into the obligatory huge open room for the doings of deadly duels with dangerous delinquent doppelgangers.

The room was surprising in how much it actually looked like an operating bathhouse. Unlike the rest of the building that adhered to form and ignored function. Kanji's shadow was stood on a raised wooden platform while Kanji himself was facing him, between us and the shadow.

"**Oh, come now. Enough with the charade. Isn't it awful to deceive people? To deceive yourself?"** the shadow asked. **"What's so bad about doing what **_**I **_**want to do?"**

"That has nothin' to do with it..." Kanji said.

"**I'm what you really want, aren't I?"**

"Hell no!" Kanji exclaimed, suddenly agitated.

"**Ohhh, how I hate girls." **the shadow whined. **"So arrogant and self-centred. They cry if you get angry, they gossip behind your back, they spread nasty lies... They look at me like I'm some... some disgusting **_**thing**_** and say that I'm a weirdo... Laughing at me all the while! **

**'You like to sew? What a queer!' 'Painting is **_**so**_** not you!' 'But you're a guy...' 'You don't act like a guy...' 'I wish you'd just act like a **_**man**_**!'"** Shadow Kanji quoted. **"What does it mean to be 'a guy'? What does it mean to be 'manly'?"** he asked, not waiting for an answer. **"Girls are so scary..."**

"I-I ain't scared of 'em!" Kanji denied vehemently.

"Teddie, get some distance. Yukiko, you too, but keep yourself in range of us. Take shots if and when." I ordered.

"**Men are much better. They'd never say those awful degrading things. Yes, I vastly prefer men."**

"Yosuke, get ready to get Kanji clear." Won't be long now.

"Hell with that!" Kanji yelled. "What makes you think you can say that shit with my face...?"

"**Why, you're me... and I'm you... You do know that, don't you?"** the shadow taunted.

"No... Nuh-uh! No way!"

Here we go...

"There's no way in _hell_ that you're me!"

I never turned off my Aura Sight so I could clearly see the malevolent aura surround Shadow Kanji, his yellow eyes glowing from beneath the dark shroud of building power. **"Teeheehee... You're me, and there's no denying it!"** he announced before his power exploded outwards in a wave.

"GO!" I yelled. Yosuke moved and just as Kanji was knocked back, he was caught. Chie and I stepped forward to face the shadow while Kanji was dragged away by Yosuke.

I cracked my knuckles as I got my first good look at what we were facing. A ridiculously muscled upper body atop a comparably tiny pair of every other sentient shadow we've seen, it was huge. It could dwarf the superhogan easily. The colouring of the giant shadow was split perfectly down the middle in black and white. Kanji's head could still be seen on top surrounded by roses. In its hands were gold-coloured 'masculine' symbols.

"Oh I get it because he thinks he might be gay." I pretend realised with a flat voice.

"Stop mocking the symbolism, Seta-kun." Chie ordered.

"Yes, ma'am."

The first thing Shadow Kanji did was summon two musclebound minions that shared his colour scheme. **"I am a shadow. The true self. I'm just being true to myself and that's why... I'll get rid of anything in my way!"**

Having said his Standard Shadow SpielTM, he made his next move, building up a familiar red energy...

I hate this place.

"Focus on the big one!", I yelled. "The other two'll be no problem if we just-"

The muscle man on the left started doing something and Shadow Kanji's power seemed to start increasing.

…

"Scratch that! The left! Kill the one on the left! We need that thing dead _ten seconds ago!_" I amended, switching to Ara Mitama for a Rakunda on the left muscle man and a Tarukaja on Chie. "Chie, Rampage! Yosuke, Dekaja!" I called out.

Yosuke's assault with wind attacks stopped for long enough to send a wave of nullifying energy through the shadows, removing the boosts the left muscle was giving to Shadow Kanji. Chie summoned Tomoe for her own attack. "Yukiko, Maragi next! Let's start testing their elements!" I switched back to Izanagi to do just that, watching as Tomoe's shockwaves slammed into the three muscular shadows twice in quick succession.

Shadow Kanji and the right muscle did not find the sensation pleasurable (I'm... mildly surprised by that) and went on the attack. The right muscle slammed a palm into Chie while Shadow Kanji... vanished?

Swift Strike.

I heard cries of pain from behind me and suddenly I was hit from behind with such force I flew towards the muscle men, my descent halted by the left one catching me by the neck.

And squeezing.

Bad... Need to... Breathe... No! Get free, _then_ breathe!

I used a Soul Graft on my legs and started kicking. Unfortunately legs aren't good with slashing motions, especially without something to push off of. Stabbing motions, though...

That thought in mind, I pulled my knees in, the knee being just above the bladed section of limb, then kicked out towards the muscle man's chest. He blocked with his free arm but that only meant I stabbed the arm instead. Distracted by the pain, he let go of my neck, letting me drink down sweet oxygen...

… for the fraction of a second before gravity kicked in. Still being attached to his arm by my legs, my body flopped backwards, my head cracking against the wooden floor. Dazed, I didn't even notice he yanked the blades out of his arm until he flung me across the room.

Hate... This... Place...

With blurry vison, I could see Yukiko was busy dealing with everyone else's wounds. The other muscle man was in a slugfest with Chie and her persona while Shadow Kanji was flitting around the room, gleefully taking a swing at anyone still standing.

… Alright, time for the first trump card.

I pulled out Tink's kuda and charged it with a miniscule amount of energy. It started to glow green, then a blue swirling beam shot out in the general direction it was pointing. More or less up, in this case. The beam flashed out of existence and Tink was on the other end of it.

"Setasetaseta hello! Didn't think the tiny tube would be comfy but it was! Did you know you're all bloody and red on your face?" she asked.

"Right." I rasped. "Talking later please? We're kind of fighting a giant manifestation of loneliness, rejection and homosexual urges right now. Can I get some healing?"

"Sure sure." she answered, using her only healing skill, Dia. Not exactly powerful but it's something. Breathing got much easier.

I looked around with un-blurried eyes to assess the situation. Chie seemed to be winning her bout with her opponent, despite the constant interruptions from Speedy McSuckerpunch aka: Shadow Kanji. The one that was choking me was trying to heal his own arm and not doing too well. Yosuke was following my last order to the letter and still trying to kill him. Yukiko was healing anyone who looked like they were getting too beat up. I guess my wounds mustn't have looked as bad as they were. Not a concern.

First things first. Stop Shadow Kanji's spree.

I switched to Saki Mitama and cast a Sukunda.

And he's back to being visible all the time now. Switch back to Izanagi for a Mazio.

Out of energy. Well _of course_ that would happen _now_.

"Tink, stay up in the air where they can't reach you. Help with healing when it looks like we need it." I requested.

"Sure sure."

I watched her float up to the ceiling and perch herself in the rafters, then used a Soul Graft on my arms and summoned the naginata. Does it have a name? I should ask.

I considered helping Chie finish off her opponent until I saw the other guy getting ready to boost Shadow Kanji again, probably as a final act since he's been taking so much punishment. Can't have that.

However, before I even took a step one final blade of wind cut through him and he dissolved. At almost the same time so did the other one.

Huh. Well that was... anticlimactic.

"**Augggh!"** Shadow Kanji squealed in anguish before charging himself up again. Oh, right, him. **"I've already made my decision to go through with this. Get out of my way... Or I'll crush you!"**

Damn, we haven't even _hit_ him yet, have we?

"Hey, partner! I'm runnin' dry!" Yosuke informed.

"Me too!" Chie added.

Shit! "Stick to physical skills then! Tink'll keep you in decent shape."

Shadow Kanji had no intention of letting anyone do anything, though. As soon as he'd finished building his power up, he lashed out at Chie, attempting to put one of us down permanently to shift the numbers closer to even again.

Thankfully the Sukunda was still in effect, making his movements sluggish. Especially compared to Chie who focuses on her footwork above all else. Nimbly dodging the two golden symbols as Shadow Kanji slammed them into the ground, she took the opportunity presented, jumping onto his arm before leaping off to spin-kick him in the face.

Counter. Sometimes you've just got to love it.

And then she has Tomoe come in from the opposite side with a Skull Cracker. Beautiful.

And Yosuke follows _that_ up with a Sonic Punch. They're really taking that physical skills only thing to heart. And kicking ass too.

Well, Izanagi can do better on his own than I can with this weapon. I cancelled the graft and summoned him for a Skewer into Shadow Kanji's exposed back.

"**What's wrong with acting however I feel like? Stay out of my way!"** he wailed. The petals on the roses sourrounding Shadow Kanji's head were propelled away in random directions throughout the area.

And the air in the room... changed.

It was hard to describe. There was nothing specific to pick out that could explain the sudden... oppressive air the room gained. Like a light pressure you could feel all over but didn't hinder you in any way.

Or at least it didn't seem to. Until Yosuke tried to summon his card...

And nothing happened.

I can't summon Izanagi either.

This... This could be bad.

Okay, assess. We can't summon our personae. Meaning the others are especially vulnerable right now. It also means we have no healing except for Tink. Suppressing personae is one thing, suppressing demons is in a whole different league.

Which means... My Grafts will still work.

But a Wild Graft would leave me vulnerable while it takes effect. We'd all be open to attack. And a Soul Graft wouldn't be enough on it's own for this one. If he were to use another Swift Strike we'd last less than a minute.

'No other option, then.' I mused to myself as I unbuttoned my shirt, revealing the symbol: three 0 shapes; a black outline, another of my skin colour inside that and the innermost being solid black. My atma marker: Zero Soul. "Sorry in advance." I said aloud as I activated what could be considered my ultimate soul-based ability.

Soul Shift.

_**FLASHBACK**_

"So you're going to tell me what you weren't telling me before now, right?"

Serph sighed. "Yes... That would be best. Very well then." He collected his thoughts and decided on the best way for him to explain. "The thing about our demonic forms, they are vicious, powerful, but still very much us. We are still the ones in control of that form. Every step, every strike, every roar. Yours... is not the same. You were still connected to the machines when you fully changed your form for the first time. All signs pointed to you being unconscious until you began to speak. Izanagi, quite literally, seems to have a mind of its own." He studied my face for a moment. "You aren't surprised by this." he observed.

I raised an eyebrow. "Of course not? It's a persona. _My_ persona. It's, by definition, an aspect of my psyche given form and voice. Of course it has a mind of... its... own."

... Which means so do the others'. And since they don't already _have_ a voice in their heads, they probably hear their persona all the time instead.

Why didn't they tell me?

They didn't have to tell me. I don't automatically have the right to know everything about what they go through just because. With all the secrets I keep from them it wouldn't be fair at all.

And I couldn't really help any more than I am now even if they _did_ tell me.

Serph blinked. Once. Twice. "Well I feel foolish. Still, best to be aware of such things beforehand. You should theoretically be able to fully change but doing so would be relinquishing control of your body. And his priorities might not be in line with yours. So use with caution. I suppose you could theoretically do the same thing with a demon persona but... Don't. Don't ever. It would be a monumentally bad idea for a dozen different reasons."

"I can guess a couple of them and based on those alone I agree." In theory. "So... While it was... awake. Did Izanagi say anything? Specifically about which part of my psyche it was?"

"Hmm. No. It didn't say anything really. Some mumbling but nothing clear enough to make out. Sorry." Serph apologised.

I was afraid of that.

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Soul Shift complete, I, or rather 'he', looked down and inspected his new functional body that was for once fully under his control. He stood a good three feet taller than my normal height so dwarfed the other humans while in turn standing at less than half the height of Shadow Kanji. I felt a sense of amusement coming from him as he thought back to how I wielded his blade.

So _this_ is what it's like to be Jackie. I should apologise for all the lust. Then again, I'm a teenager with an active imagination and most of my time is spent hanging out with hot girls.

I tried to get over the novelty quickly so I could pay attention to what's going on. I can't affect anything but I should at least keep an eye on what's happening.

"**H-how? No fair! It wasn't supposed to go this way!"** Shadow Kanji whined.

"**I am the Eros, the creative self. Izanagi, Father of the World."** Izanagi spoke in a voice I hadn't heard since the very first time I fought a shadow.

"Is that really Izanagi or is Seta-kun being dramatic again?" I heard Yukiko stage whisper.

"No... I'm pretty sure it's Izanagi behind the wheel right now." Yosuke answered, slightly awestruck but still paying attention to the shocked Shadow Kanji in case it might try something.

"**A fascinating ability thou has, Shadow of Kanji Tatsumi. Enough even to make mine greater quail in fear. I must ask, where didst thou get the power to suppress thine brethren? 'Twould not be a power you alone could hold."** Why is he talking like that?... Oh, right. How _I_ see Izanagi. I'd expect him to talk all olde worlde like, so he does.

"**You... You won't stop me from-"** Shadow Kanji began before Izanagi cut him off.

"**Yes, yes. We are aware of thine predilections but that is not the most pertinent issue at this..." **he trailed off. **"... Thou dost not know." **he realised. **"Of course! Perish the thought! A shadow with true intellect behind it. Preposterous! The other was merely an abberation. An impossibility borne of circumstance. Thou art ordinary, and irrelevant in the grand scheme. An opportunity of which another took advantage, nothing more."** He slipped into a ready stance, naginata pointed at his opponent. **"Then I shall remove this opportunity so mine greater may move on."**

"**Remove? You're an Eros! You're not the type to-"**

"**Destroy? Foolish shadow, you know nothing! Those who stand behind me are mine greatest creations! None would stand so tall as they do were it not for mine greater's intervention! Therefore... Therefore, I shall defend them for they stand as monuments to my greatness!"**

…

I'll remind them I already apologised when I'm back in charge.

Izanagi dashed the short distance between himself and Shadow Kanji, moving impossibly well on his sword legs, seeming to hop from foot to bladed foot in the direction he wanted to go. Using his momentum he put his weapon through the nearest of his opponent's weaponised symbols as it was brought around to strike him. Using his naginata as a lever, Izanagi pulled the symbol in the opposite direction, attempting to wrench it out of the shadow's hand or pull the shadow over if he refused to let go of the poorly chosen weapon.

In fact, both happened. Shadow Kanji did not let go of his manly symbol and his top heavy body was pulled to the ground for it. The shock caused his grip to loosen for just a second which Izanagi capitalised on, yanking the symbol out of his grasp and flinging the thing into a bath in the corner of the room.

As Shadow Kanji tried to get up (a difficult task, it seems. While he had his balance it was easy but after losing it it looked difficult to get back), Izanagi noticed the other golden symbol near flat on the floor, still in Shadow Kanji's grasp. And just like that the naginata was planted in the floor within the circle, restricting movement of the weapon heavily. **"He is weaponless. Attack."** Izanagi intoned as he looked at the others who had yet to move.

He wasn't wrong. Mostly. Seeing the weapon trapped by Izanagi, Shadow Kanji lashed out at him with an electric attack, once again refusing to relinquish what he saw as manliness. The attack was shrugged off. **"Thou shareth mine element. 'Twould take a great deal more of that to wound me, shadow. And more still to dislodge me."**

While Shadow Kanji was focused entirely on Izanagi and his weapon, the others had closed in on him. This 'disable then destroy' method of shadow fighting seems pretty damn effective. Eventually, after taking a great deal of punishment from Chie, Yosuke and – surprisingly – Yukiko, he released his hold on the golden symbol, if only so he could keep the others away from him.

I'd say it was a poorly thought out move but he wasn't given much of a choice. As soon as Shadow Kanji let go, Izanagi pulled his naginata free, picked up the symbol with two clawed hands and hurled it in the same direction as the first one.

From there, the fight was more or less over. Shadow Kanji had used his energy on Izanagi and creating the persona suppression field. And without his weapons he was near defenseless, reduced to trying in vain to knock the others away from him.

Then Izanagi climbed up his arm one bladed step at a time, leaving stab wounds all along it before shoving his bladed spear through the back of the enemy's neck, permanently ending the threat.

"**Relinquishing control."** Izanagi stated as he jumped off of the rapidly dissolving shadow.

I landed in a roll, fully myself again.

I turned around to see a shocked and slightly angry Chie looking at me. "To be fair, I _did_ apologise before, remember?" I reminded.

She looke about to argue but a well-timed groan from the real Kanji saved me. I like this guy already. "Dammit." I heard him say as I turend and saw him getting to his feet.

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko exclaimed from next to the defeated shadow.

"Wait, something's wrong!" Yosuke shouted. I turned again to look at what he was seeing and saw Shadow Kanji, back in his regular towel-wearing form, also get to his feet.

"I-It's still coming! Kanji's still rejecting it!" Teddie explained.

"Can't blame him with this many witnesses..." Yosuke stated.

"**S-such-"** Shadow Kanji stuttered, stumbling. **"Such a passionate approach. I think... that you three... would make wonderful boyfriends."**

"S-stop it, you got it all wrong!" Yosuke denied.

"Dude, it's his shadow, not yours." I pointed out, nodding at Kanji.

"Enough..." Kanji spoke. "Stop... What the hell are you blabberin' about?"

"**I don't care who... Won't someone, anyone, please accept me?"**

"Stop... it..."

"**Accept me for who I am!"** the shadow suddenly started shouting.

"Wh-whoa I really don't swing th-kuh OW!" Yosuke said before I slapped him on the back of the head.

"I said _stop it!_" Kanji yelled, running forward and slamming a fist into his own shadow's face, sending it to the ground again. "Tch, can't believe something like this is inside me. I know. I've known all this time I had something like you! It ain't about guys or chicks... I'm just scared shitless of being rejected." he continued, sorrowful. "I'm a total pansy who tries to make everyone hate me."

"No one here has any intention of rejecting you, Kanji." I said.

"Hey, wai-"

"Except Yosuke. But he's kind of a dick." I added.

"Hah! Says the guy who thinks we're 'monuments to his greatness'?" Chie snarked.

"Pfft. I don't bring up the things I heard all _your_ shadows say." I reminded, conveniently forgetting the part where of all my shadows, the Eros would probably be the 'nice' one.

"C'mon... Get up." Kanji told his shadow. "Anybody who looks like me, I know they ain't so weak they can't take a punch."

He apparently missed the part where we beat and stabbed the shit out of him. Still, the shadow did get back up quickly enough.

"I already know that you're me." he told it. "You're me... and I'm you, dammit!"

The shadow nodded, and the familiar blue glow from the acceptance appeared. Shadow Kanji's form disappeared and in it's place was a black giant, bones apparently on the _out_side, holding a thunderbolt. 'Take-Mikazuchi', my aura sight told me.

As soon as his new persona faded from sight, Kanji fell flat with a grunt of pain.

"Kanji-kun!" Chie shouted.

"Oh, right. I forgot they do that." I mentioned absently.

"Let's get him out of here." Yosuke suggested.

"Kanji-kun, are you okay?" Yukiko asked him when we got back to the real world. Kanji was curled up under the TV we'd come out of in the electronics department.

"It's... It's nothin'." he answered. "Ngh... I feel great. Heheh... It's like my mind's all cleared up." he informed us.

"Glad to hear it." I said as Yosuke pulled him to his feet.

"Hey... About what just happened..." he asked without asking.

"We'll tell you later." I promised. "And you can tell me why the hell you didn't call." I added.

"We'll be waiting for you at school." Chie told him.

"School?... Sure, if I ever feel like goin'."

"I'll get him home." Yosuke volunteered. "If anyone asks I'll just say I found him somewhere like this."

"You still want somethin' from the liquor store?" I asked.

He thought about it. "Sure. I'll come by later to pick it up. Thanks."

Mistake corrected. And the cost wasn't even... _that_ high...

_**FLASHBACK**_

"How do you feel now?" Serph asked me as I came out of the prison cell.

I had just gone through my... initiation. All of the Embryon were there. The Jakkai occassionally have prisoners they simply can't ever release and need them to... disappear. This is where the Embryon come in and... deal with the problem. The prisoner is dealt with, the Embryon stay safe and sane, everybody wins I suppose.

An Archangel had apparently been acting as a spy for the Tenshi after 'defecting' to the Jakkai. Apparently a significant number of the Embryon's... whatever you call then, ended up that way for crimes of a very similar nature.

"The same as before. The self-loathing is new but might pass eventually. But I still feel that..." I trailed off, trying to think of the word.

"Hunger?" Roland supplied.

"... For lack of a better word." I half-heartedly agreed.

"Dat never goes away." Cielo said. "Is de bigges' danger. No way to know when you close to de edge."

"Indeed." Serph agreed. "Best if you return every other week at least."

"Right."

**SMASH!**

_Thou art I and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond._

_It brings thee closer to the truth._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Aeon Arcana._

A/N: You know I finished this chapter the day after the last one? Crazy, right? It's like I can write at a decent pace or something. Weird.

I'm semi-betaless while Feithy deals with some no internet issues and moves to a new place. But once he's got himself situated we're gonna take a look at the whole fic start to finish and clean it up a bit. Especially the first few chapters. No plot changes, just cleaning it up (and crushing those most cringe-worthy moments into virtual paste).

The **REVIEW** has been kidnapped by ninjas.

**NightmareSyndrom**: Chie recognised Yukiko's. No one but Seta recognised Kanji's (and even then only because he'd seen him recently). Then we have Rise, Naoto and Adachi. Seta already noticed the pattern, I don't know if anyone else will. I hated Junpei and stopped using him as soon as I could. I just thought a bladed dropkick sounded awesome.

**Slicerness**: That's exactly what he was doing.

**Patcheresu**: Absolutely true, but there are no FEShadow tropes there. I'd love to know what tropes I've used. I'd wager a fair number in the angst family. 18 has some good Teddie hate but I'm not sure it's quotable.

Reviews done.

And the Kanji arc is OVER! Next we have another Social Link GO! chapter with maybe some Naoto-y goodness mixed in.

Thanks for reading. Happy birthday to meeeeee!


	35. Drama Drama Drama

{05/23/11: Monday}

Kanji hadn't shown up at school yet. Understandable. Getting a persona tends to take a lot out of you for some reason. So I guess we just have to wait on him to start feeling better before we can get more information.

Frankly, I'm fine with that. I could use a day to reacclimatise. I mean we're due for an equipment upgrade, I could do with some fusing and I have social links I haven't seen in a while but all I want to do today... Is just chill.

And avoid loud noises.

And bright lights.

I may have overdone it with the booze last night.

See, when Yosuke showed up to pick his up, I suggested we go hang out by the river and have a small celebration of a job well done. I'd decided drinking alone like I did last time was kind of sad. Well, he agreed, and we went.

Somehow, a toast to our success turned into a drinking contest based around who could spear the most fish with my/Izanagi's spear.

There are now eleven less fish in that river. And about twenty more fish halves.

The naginata is not an ideal fish-catching implement.

Afterwards, I somehow made it home and did my level best to look sober as I passed the Dojimas and went up to my room.

No one had seemed bothered by me and Yosuke wearing sunglasses in the rain today. Maybe they thought we were trying to start a trend.

Also, turns out Yosuke is now grounded. Guess I'll have to find other people to hang out with for now.

… Why not. Drama club it is! Should make for a fun afternoon.

-(-)-

I am never doing the Sun social link again. Really. That was the angstiest situation I've been in since I met my aspects.

Indeed it _is_ hypocritical of me to hate angsty crap. Thank you for noticing.

Yumi found out during drama club that her mom was in the hospital. I followed her there for support (and maybe some social linkage) and it turns out her mom wasn't there for _herself_, she was there for Yumi's _dad _who had collapsed due to his as yet undetermined terminal illness.

Yumi was not pleased with this deception.

See, the short version is ten years ago, Yumi's dad (his real name also undetermined) ran out on Yumi and her mom for some 'bimbo' (Yumi's words, not mine) who has since left him. His last request was to see his daughter again.

Now, I can understand Yumi's anger. Really, I can. When it comes to parental abandonment issues, I think personal experience has given me a pretty firm grasp of the concept and what it does to people. So I get her not wanting to see the guy ever again. But a part of me – a really small, insignificant part that I would never admit to unless you seriously fucking pushed me – is screaming at me to rant at her about how she actually has a dad who gives a crap again, regardless of circumstances and that she should take what she can get!

_But_ that would break the link or at the very least reverse it. So whatever. Maybe she'll come around before he kicks the bucket. If not, I'll be there for her when she realises she told a dying man to piss up a rope and keep the link going that way.

Regardless,

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Sun Arcana._

That happened. Woo.

-(-)-

"Hey, Seta? How'd you do in your midterms?" Uncle asked me, glancing at me from behind his paper.

… I'm so glad the déjá vu is almost over with.

"Third in the year." I answered, having had to think about it for a second. It was over a week ago from my perspective. A week in which I indirectly got someone killed, got arrested, went back in time, became a weird demon hybrid and set right what once went wrong and all that heroic stuff. I can be forgiven for forgetting something so small in comparison.

Small? Huh. Maybe I'm growing as a person.

… Do I still count as a person?

=Yes.=

-Oh, right. Sorry. I guess if I think I'm not then I think you're not either, right?-

=Sure. Among other reasons.=

"Seta?"

"Hm?" I mumbled, looking up at Dojima again. "Oh, sorry. Drifted off there for a bit. Did you say something?"

"I said your parents sent some money over for when you did well in your exams." he repeated while pulling out his wallet. "So..."

"I think you may be misinterpreting what they meant by 'did well'. What they really meant was 'achieved the best score bar none'. So whatever you were about to give me is unearned and I won't take it."

Dojima rubbed a hand over his face. "This is going to be another one of those conversations, isn't it?"

"Probably. Better to let it go and save us both the hassle, don't you think?" I asked.

He sighed. "Nanako, could you go to your room for a bit? I need to talk to your... brother."

Damn.

"You're not gonna fight again, are you?" Nanako asked, suspicious.

"No, just talking, I promise."

She still looked unsure but nodded anyway and headed upstairs.

=She'll eavesdrop again, cutter.=

I mentally gasped. -No! You think? Of course she will! It just doesn't matter this time. Besides, last time she did it I got a free link out of it.-

"So," I said aloud, "even _you're_ doing the 'brother' thing now?"

Dojima shrugged. "It makes her happy. She looks up to you. And despite your more... _confrontational_ moments, you're not a bad role model. Your refusing to take the money says the same thing. Most kids your age would keep quiet, take the money and brag to your friends about fleecing your uncle."

"Accepting money under false pretenses is rarely if ever a good idea. Accepting money _period_ is inadvisable. Unless you know exactly what the giver wants in return." I quoted. "He may never win an award for parenting, but you can never fault Serph Souji when it comes to handling financial transactions."

"So you think I want something from you?" Dojima asked with surprise.

You're a cop. You made an agreement. You were fulfilling it. So no. "I don't know. Do you?"

We stared at one another for what couldn't have been more than ten seconds.

"Coffee?" Dojima said suddenly, taking me by surprise.

"You... want me to get you-" I hedged.

"No, no!" Uncle laughed, waving his hands to accentuate his denial. "I mean do you want some. I feel like I should be more awake for this."

"Oh. Uhh, sure. Thanks." I answered.

"How do you take it?"

"Uhh, surprise me?" I've only had the stuff once. The taste didn't appeal and adding sweeteners felt like admitting defeat.

But this feels like an olive branch kind of moment. So I'll go with it.

A few minutes passed as Uncle made us both coffee. Mine ended up a ridiculously saccharine concoction that is apparently how Nanako likes it. In my opinion it is a good thing my tastes aren't in line with those of a five year old girl.

Now Uncle and I are staring at each other again. And the awkward levels are rising.

"So do you see your mom often?" he asked suddenly.

I rolled my eyes. "Couldn't help yourself, could you?" I asked gearing up for a rant.

"Woah, hold on!" Dojima exclaimed before I could start. "I just wanna know how she is. She _is_ my big sister, remember?"

"... Right. Sorry." I muttered, deflated. "No. I haven't seen either of them for just over four years now. When I was little I'd see them pretty often. Every few weeks or so. Then less and less as I got older until it was their assistants' assistants telling me where they were sending me next."

"Hm." was the only response Uncle gave me. And frankly I'm grateful for it.

"But I'm pretty sure she's okay. I guess. I don't see why she wouldn't be."

More staring. More silence. An uncomfortable throat clearing on my part to break said silence.

"Okay. Let's just get back to what started this." Uncle suggested. "You don't want to take the money your... that you were left for doing well on exams."

"Correct."

"You don't think you earned it."

"I didn't."

"... Right." Uncle hesitantly agreed. "So how about we make an agreement between ourselves. You get, say, half of the money this time. If you do similarly on the next exam, you get half then too and so on. If you start getting top scores again you get what you would've gotten for that exam plus what you would've gotten for this exam. _But_ If you don't get the top score on your finals for the year, you pay back everything you've earned so far. How does that sound?"

"Those sound kind of like the terms of a loan contract." I observed.

"That a problem?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Not really. Kind of fitting from my view."

"So is it a deal?" he asked, already grabbing his wallet.

"Yeah, it's a deal." I nodded.

"Good." he said, smiling slightly as he handed me the money. 15,000 yen total. Then the smile vanished, his expression suddenly serious.

"I'm not your dad. I can't be your dad. I shouldn't be your dad. And I'm sorry if it seemed like I was trying to be. No, let me finish." Dojima said as he saw my jaw clench. "You really need to learn some control for that temper of yours but I admit you had a point there. But since he's doing... whatever it is he does, you might need to talk to someone who was a teenager at some point in his life. So if you have a problem that you need to talk through, I want you to know you can come to me. Maybe I have some advice, maybe not, but it's never a bad thing to talk things out. Understand?"

I didn't answer. And it was awkward again until I headed to my room.

-(-)-

{05/24/11: Tuesday}

"Souji-san, may I have a word?" a _feminine_ voice spoke as I walked home from school.

=You thought she was a he same as I did, cutter. Stop pretending you knew all along.=

-But I _did_ know all along. There's no way I would've been attracted to her if I really thought she was a he.-

=And watching gay porn 'just to check' to see if it got you goi-=

-THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. You speak lies! He speaks lies, no one listen to him!-

=... Who the hell are you talking to?=

"Souji-san.", the voice said again, an impatient edge to it this time.

"Yes, Detective-san?" I asked, turning around and seeing 'him' walk out of the fog.

'He' blinked, caught off guard. "What makes you think I'm a detective?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Should I list the reasons? Let's start small then. One. You dress smart casual for no apparent reason, going out of your way to look respectable. Two. Your attitude is consistently serious, the only time I've seen you smile even slightly was when you successfully trapped me the last time we spoke. Three. You successfully trapped me the last time we spoke. Four. You turned a conversation in which I was trying to get information from you into your getting information from me, and far more than I wanted to give, I might add. And most damningly, _five_!"

Pause for dramatic effect.

"I googled you."

Naoto's jaw dropped. "That's it? You googled me?"

I shrugged. "Well the first four would've been reason enough to call you 'detective' in a joking manner. However, had I _not_ googled you, then number six: 'you didn't deny it', would've been reason enough to consider it a real possibility. Don't look so disappointed, Naoto-chan."

I bet she hates that honorific. Am I taunting her needlessly? Sure. Is it fun? Oh, hells yes.

Am I going to pay for it at some point in the future? Undoubtedly.

"So a funny thing happened. On Sunday night, Kanji Tatsumi was found exhausted by someone and taken to his home. He has no memory of what happened from the day he was kidnapped to when he was found." she said, watching my face for a reaction.

"That's a good thing." I answered.

"It is." Naoto agreed. "An interesting coincidence. Did you know it was raining on the night he was found?"

"It _was_ raining on Sunday." I sighed. "Look, can we stop dancing around this? I told you to watch the midnight channel on a rainy night and Kanji would be on it. Then the first rainy night, Kanji miraculously turns up."

"You understand how that may seem... suspicious."

I nodded. "I do. And I even have a suggestion for you to determine _why_ Kanji reappeared when it was raining and not, say, on a day like today. This _is_ wonderful weather we're having, isn't it?" I asked rhetorically as I looked around me as if to demonstrate.

Actually there's a thought.

I put on my glasses in the hopes they would be able to see through this fog like they can in the TV world.

… No such luck. A shame. Think I'll leave 'em on though. They kind of work for me, as a style.

… Why does Naoto look like she's seen a ghost?

"I... wasn't aware you wore glasses, Seta-san." she observed, collected facáde shattered.

Somehow.

"I didn't. Still don't. These are more or less cosmetic. They suit me though, don't you think?"

"I think I'm not the best person to ask, Seta-san." she said.

"Oh, come on. You're a g-h-ood eye for detail, how do they look?"

=Nice save.=

-Thank you.-

"They look fine." she stated firmly. "Why is the weather significant?"

I sighed dramatically. "And I suppose you're not going to tell me why the glasses bother you so."

"No. Answer the question, Seta-san." Naoto said, not even bothering to hide her unease anymore.

"I can't speak for when the deaths _themselves_ occurred. I wasn't there and had no hand in causing them. But there's an interesting coincidence about the days the bodies were found. April 12th. Afternoon. Fog. Mayumi Yamano found dead. April 15th. Early morning. Fog. Saki Konishi found dead. April 27th. _Rain_. Yukiko Amagi found _alive_. May 22nd. Rain. Kanji Tatsumi found alive."

"So you think it was done by some weather obsessed individual?" Naoto asked, skeptically.

"I'm surprised. Poking fun at the facts. How unprofessional." I chastised mockingly. "I'll say this though, if the weather is significant – particularly the presence of fog – then I'd say today's weather shows Kanji's survival was a _very_ close thing."

I can tell she's not taking it seriously. But she'll still check it later. It would be irresponsible not to. What she does with it, I don't know. Probably come at me again.

I don't think I could keep this dance going after that. Oh, well. Out with a bang this time, I think.

"Feel free to find me again if you want to chat some more." I offered as I walked away. Then I shouted as I vanished into the fog. "It's nice to know I can capture a woman's attention so, Arisoto-chan."

By the time my parting words clicked and she thought to follow me, I'd already vanished into the fog.

=... Did you just go out on a _rhyme_?=

-I didn't, did I? It's nice to know I can capture a woman's attention so- OH CRAP I DID! Oh man, that's so _lame!_-

-(-)-

A/N: Hey, anyone remember this one story? It was about some guy who goes to a rural town and fights monsters in a TV world. It hasn't been updated in like four months though so I think it might be abandoned OWAIT!

Okay. I admit. This took longer than it should have. But frankly, writing it felt like a chore for a while there. Writing should be fun. But the prospect of transcribing the S-Links again horrified me. Expect most future ones to go like the Sun one in this chapter. Some will get more detail, others will be almost entirely ignored (Temperance, I'm looking at you).

Last chapter with in chapter review responses EVER. So let's go out on a good quote. Ummm...

Oh, who the fuck am I kidding. Most of you won't even remember leaving your **REVIEWS**.

That works.

**AthanMortis**: I watched about half of the animation. Stopped just after Mitsuo's bit. Was good. Bit fanservicey but there's stuff in there I'll make use of.

**Arkee**: A bit. He isn't confused about her anymore so he isn't on the back foot from the start. More confidence means he is as full of himself as he usually is. And as snarky mean as he usually is.

**Guest**: Yes.

**Selias**: Funny thing about relationships. Sometimes they don't work out. All I'm sayin'.

**Mistress of Madness**: Umm... Oops?

All done. Future responses in message form. Also I encourage people to read my other stories. They're okay, honest! Especially the Fairy Tail one! I got ONE review for my last chapter! Damned shippy FT fanbase.

Ahem, sorry.

Thanks for reading!


	36. Progress

{06/05/11: Sunday}

_\_So that's everything from this month from everyone else_\_ said the voice on the phone who refused to identify himself. _\_As well as all of your own linking since you started. Anything you want to add to your report?_\_

"No."

_\_Then unless something significant comes up, I'll speak to you again in one month. Good luck._\_

"Thanks." I answered before hanging up.

And so my first report for Minatos' dumbass plan is complete. Only eleven months left and my debt is paid. It's not even that big a deal. All the linkers in Kyushu send me e-mails of their progress in completing their social links. I compile those reports into one master file and add my own report, send it along to the address Jun sent me (not sure how he got my e-mail address but that's not worth thinking about, really), the nameless guy calls me to confirm details and bam. Done.

Not sure how I feel about reporting my progress on getting a fox to like me. Oh, wait. Yes I am. It feels _really freakin' weird_. But that was the deal I made.

So I had two whole weeks of linking. It went pretty well, I think. I got another couple of links from Sun and wasn't _that_ a fun time. Links are links, stressful as they may be.

Of course, the Hermit link was a highlight when it comes to stress.

-(FLASHBACK)-

"So."

"Yip."

I sighed. This was about as far as I'd ever gotten. I still can't wrap my head around making deals with wild animals. But Kami save me, this thing seems smart enough and as much as I hate to admit it, I've seen stranger stuff than a clever fox.

"So... You wanted me to... do things. Like, make wishes come true and all that crap."

"Yip!" The fox barked, running around in a cricle.

"And what do I get in return?"

The fox growled at me. "No, don't give me that. I don't do handouts. I make deals. You want something from me, you give me something in return. Wasn't that the deal? You said-" Nothing because you're a fucking fox THIS IS SO DAMN STUPID! "You said you'd trade me those healing leaves but when I asked for one you wanted 'donations'. Far as I'm concerned, I'm buying those leaves so any favours I do you are separate. Got it?"

He... She? _It_ growled again but with less menace. I can only assume, not having any experience with foxes, that it was begrudging agreement. It latched onto a small coin near the shrine donation box with its teeth and dropped it next to a pile of leaves. It then nodded at the coin then the leaves in turn. "Yes. You want money for the leaves. We've established that."

It growled again. Nodding at the coin, then the leaves. Then it picked up the coin again and dropped it in the pile of leaves. "I don't... I'm not good at charades. Err, the leaves... money... the leaves are money?"

"Yip."

"The leaves represent money?"

"Yip!" The fox barked, bouncing a bit. It then picked up an ema plaque and dropped it by the pile, face up. "So a wish next to... money... You'll pay me for doing it?" The fox growled. I rolled my eyes. "Course not. That'd be too easy. Alright..."

The fox turned the plaque over. "I do one of those and... What?" It pulled a few leaves away from the pile. "Less money... I pay less money?" The fox gave an excited bark. "I got it! You give me a discount on the leaves!"

The fox was running around again, barking excitedly. "Alright. Discount. I can work with that. Alright, round up a few of these tags and I'll get to work... You know, I need something better to call you than 'that fox'. How about... Kyuubi?"

It growled at me. "Yeah, you're right. That was because it had nine tails. Ichibi, then! Ichi for short!" It growled again. "Yeah? Well I hate my name too. Suck it up."

-(END FLASHBACK)-

Since then I've done Ichi a few favours and gotten a 25% discount on the super leaves. That takes them from 'holy hell I can't afford that' expensive to plain old exorbitantly expensive.

A minor upgrade but I'll take what I can get. Besides, hopefully I can do a few more favours before we actually need to buy something from his stash of magical leaves.

I helped Yukiko look into part-time work and agreed to taste-test her cooking. I get this weird sinking feeling whenever I think about that part but I'm sure it's nothing. Two more links for Priestess.

Let's see... What else... I spent time with Ai. That was torturous. Still, two links for my trouble. No progress on the football team but that one will take a while I think.

-(-)-

{06/06/11: Monday}

"H-hi there!" Kanji said, waving slightly as he walked up to us. The four of us were sitting on the rooftop as is apparently our custom when welcoming newbies now. Don't know how that happened but it works.

"What's with the nerves, Kanji?" Yosuke laughed. "It doesn't suit you at all."

"Shut up, asshole! I ain't nervous! I'm still tryin'a process that weird shit you guys put me through is all!" Kanji shouted back.

"Well he has a point." I admitted. "It is a lot to take in at once." I then pulled out a sheaf of paper with a dramatic flourish. "Which is why Yosuke and I put together this ingenious primer for all newbies! Yosuke, if you would do the honours?" I requested as I handed him the papers.

"It would be a pleasure! A-he-hem!" Yosuke exaggeratedly cleared his throat as he put on his anti-fog glasses (for bonus smarty points).

"Our abilities are called 'Persona'. Persona allows us to summon a being that represents our inner, hidden selves and are gained by accepting our shadow – the things we hate most about ourselves that we don't want to admit to. Except Seta 'cos he's weird."

"Guilty." I agreed.

"We each have one persona that has its own special abilities and attacks. Except Seta has more than one 'cos he's weird."

"Preach it!" I cried.

"Now, people with the power of Persona are able to pass through TV screens to reach what we call the TV world but Seta has started calling the 'collective unconscious' because he's-"

"Weird?" Kanji guessed.

"No, pretentious." Yosuke corrected. "Anyway, the TV world is filled with smaller shadows not connected to a specific person (as far as we know) and is blanketed with a weird yellow fog that seems to be poisonous unless you wear special glasses like the ones I'm wearing - don't ask how that works, because we have absolutely no idea. The recent murders were committed by someone throwing the victims into the TV world where they would then be attacked by their own shadow, their corpse showing up in this world on a foggy day. With me so far?"

"I guess?" Kanji hedged.

"Good! Now we've been able to sort of predict who would get thrown in next but we've only had a couple days warning so far. On a rainy night at midnight a TV screen will show a person. Last time it was you. We tried to warn you."

"Didn't work." Chie put in.

"Yeah, I noticed." Kanji grumped.

"Alright. I think that covers it. Any questions?"

"Uhh, yeah. What's the deal with him getting claws and shit?" Kanji asked, pointing at me.

Yosuke and I looked at one another. "I knew we forgot something." I said.

"Uhh," Yosuke uttered, searching for a way to explain quickly and easily. "He's weird."

"Perfect. Add it to the page." I ordered.

"On it, boss."

"Well, hold on! That doesn't explain-"

"Sh-sh-shh! Seta... grows... claws... sometimes... because... he's... weird!" Yosuke adopted a thinking pose, tapping his pen on his chin before showing a 'eureka' expression and continuing writing. "Also... swords... for legs... sometimes. Okay, done!"

"Sheesh, when did these two turn into a lame comedy duo- Yukiko!" Chie sighed in exasperation as she noticed her friend in hysterics.

"I'm sorry!" Yukiko apologised, still giggling like a mad woman. "It was funny!"

"Yyyeah, I'm pretty sure all you guys are nuts?" Kanji said. ""But, uhh, you did kinda save my ass so... Thanks... senpai."

On hearing that last word, Yosuke and I looked at one another. We immediately got into a huddle right in the middle of everyone and started speaking in not-so-hushed voices. "He's our kouhai." Yosuke breathed.

"We have a kouhai in the group now." I agreed.

"Do you know what this means?!" Yosuke giddily asked.

"We have our very own-"

"GOFER!" We shouted together in jubilation, putting an arm each on Kanji's shoulders.

"Wha...?" Kanji mumbled, more confused than ever.

"Gofer snacks." said Yosuke.

"Gofer drinks." I agreed.

"Gofer lunch!"

Chie tried to step in. "Come on you guys, give him a break alr-"

"Gofer steak!" Yosuke and I both added before she could finish.

"GOFER!" Chie shouted, suddenly on board.

"Okay, you all are my senpai and I'm grateful for the save an' all." Kanji said with a twitching eyebrow. "But I'm gonna make one thing clear, okay?"

Then he kicked Yosuke in the balls.

"I AIN'T YER DAMN GOFER! GOT IT?!"

"Wh-why does everyone... go for... my balls?" Yosuke asked the world, gasping for breath.

-(-)-

"So your 'special headquarters' is... the Junes food court?" Kanji questioned.

I sighed. "Don't blame me, that name was all Yukiko."

"And the fox?"

"Its name is Ichibi now."

"... Okay?"

"Is it okay if we ask you some questions now?" Yukiko requested.

"Sure, I guess." Kanji agreed.

"So who was that boy you were with?" Chie asked out of the blue.

"Oh, I can answer that one!" I interrupted. "He's a private detective."

"WHAT?!" I got from four different sources.

"Loud." I grimaced. "Yeah. Naoto Shirogane. Media calls him the 'Detective Prince. Apparently his granddad was a big deal back in the day and grandson is following in his footsteps. I'd bet money he's looking into the murders himself, though I'm interested in how he knew to talk to Kanji."

Kanji looked disappointed. Wonder if he'd be more or less disappointed to find out Naoto isn't a dude? "Well if it helps, I don't think he did. Know to talk to me, I mean. He was just askin' about school and stuff. Like if I noticed anything different."

"Man, for a second there, I thought he already knew about the midnight channel or something!" Yosuke laughed.

"Well he knows _now_. Remember? When Seta was a moron?" Chie prompted.

Yosuke blinked. "You're going to need to be more specific."

"Yeah, screw you too, Yosuke." I grumbled before talking to Kanji again. "So what about the night you were taken? Do you remember anything about it?"

Kanji hesitated. "Well... you kinda freaked me out with the whole 'claws' thing. So I figured I'd sleep it off. I remember a weird dark entrance thing and the next thing I knew I was waking up in that sauna place."

"A dark entrance... A TV?" Yukiko hazarded.

Kanji nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it, maybe so."

"The cops ask you anything?" Yosuke asked.

"Yeah but I didn't tell 'em nothing. They wouldn'a believed me anyway. Besides, if I told 'em what happened, Seta-senpai would've been suspected, right? I figured I owed you guys one for getting me outta there."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Kanji smirked. "So you guys're thinkin' some dude put me through this crap? What can I do to help?"

"... Well we could use a-"

"I ain't your damn gofer, Yosuke-senpai." Kanji stated with a glare.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personae of the Fool Arcana._

Awwwww yeahhhhh!

"Kind of sucks that we're back to square one now, though." Chie lamented.

"I know what you mean." Yukiko agreed. "We don't even know who's being targeted anymore."

Kanji smirked. "Oh, well I got you guys covered there! I got the inside scoop that's gonna blow your minds!" he bragged, handing me some papers. "Some third year dude was snoopin' around, tryin'a dig up info on the murders so I took this off him!"

"What is it?" Yukiko asked.

"I 'unno."

"And yet, you took it anyway." Yosuke sighed.

Kanji shrugged. "He thought it was important."

I looked through the papers. Enka album charts... Announcer rankings, the hell? … List of TV pro...grams... "Shit."

"What's up, partner?" Yosuke asked.

"I can't believe I forgot about this! Kanji, this is your fault somehow!"

"Wha! What'd I do?!" Kanji asked.

"TV! That's what connected them all! You all! Mayumi Yamano was on TV because of that scandal with Tametanamename-"

"Namatame." Chie corrected.

"Whatever. Saki Konishi was the witness who found Yamano's body. Yukiko was interviewed because she was temporarily taking over the Amagi Inn and Kanji was on that special report on biker gangs! They were _all on TV a few days before being taken!_"

"An impressive deduction, Souji-san."

"... Chie... How long has Naoto been standing behind me?"

"Since you swore." she smiled.

"And yet the only time you interrupted was to correct me on Nametamamaname's name."

"Yyyyyep!" She answered, still grinning.

-(-)-

A/N:Hey! Remember that one fic from like – Ah, fuck it. Yeah. Sorry.

So you folks may have noticed a certain someone is back from his hiatus and has posted a new chapter to his sequel to both his and my Persona fics. Samjaz is back! Yay! That officially transitions this fic from the sequel it was originally to the prequel it is now. Fair warning, For Every Soul will naturally have spoilers for the rest of this fic. Here's my suggestion. Read both as and when they update. Like I said, think of this as a prequel to the events of For Every Soul, giving clarity to why things are as they are in that fic.

You know, that thing with Kanji mugging a guy for his info on the murders is in the canon script? Why the hell didn't the Investigation Team follow up on that if someone was that interested and, in fact, gave them their biggest break in the case to date? Well I'll sure as hell be following up on it.

Sorry for the wait!

Thanks for reading!


	37. One Problem at a Time!

A/N IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Opening a chapter with an A/N. Not often I do that but this is important.

So you folks may have noticed that it's been a long time since... Five months?! Again?! Fuck! Alright, it's been a long time since the last chapter. So here's the deal. I hit some pretty damn serious burnout on writing this story. I couldn't bring myself to do it anymore. But I committed to it and didn't want to just give up on it. Well I was this close II (that gap just there, that close) to just packing it in completely when a concerned reader contacted me hoping the story wasn't dead. Well we got to talking and long story short this is what we worked out for the story for the foreseeable future.

1: This wondrous fellow who goes by the moniker 'The Name's The Same', will do the lion's share of doing the actual writing for the story. Meanwhile, I'll be directing the plot and characters in a general sense. So he'd be lead writer while I'm writer/director kind of deal.

2: If for whatever reason this doesn't work out (TNTS gets bored, impatient, pissed at me for being too overbearing, what have you) then we'll stop and I'll activate Plan B. Cutting out 'the faff' as I call it and finishing the whole damn thing in about ten chapters or so.

3: If for whatever reason THAT doesn't work (I have ten days to live or something ridiculous like that), I'll post the outline for the plot as I have it, saying in simple terms what would've happened if I managed to finish it.

That being said, I'd like you all to welcome The Name's The Same as co-author on this project. When pressed (a lot), he had this to say:

"Well...if I had to say anything, it might be that I'm a little nervous about taking the torch for one of the most reviewed fics on this site. And that I'll be sure to stay faithful to your directions while also adding my own little twists here and there. And I also plan to update at least every other week, but we'll see how it goes from here.  
So let's raise our glass in honor of revival! Hurrah!" - TNTS (C/Ped from my PM log)

Most reviewed on the site is overstating it a bit but I did look it up and it turns out this is the sixth most reviewed fic in the Persona section. I just want to say thank you, all of you for your support. Even if, in the end, I couldn't live up to it, it means a lot to me.

That done, let's get this thing going!

-(-)-

Turning around to face her felt like it took over half a year. Not necessarily because I was afraid but more because I felt it would look more dramatic.

"Clever g-... Clever." I congratulated Naoto. "Managing to find us like this. I'd expect no less of the Detective Prince. So how did you find us? FBI Satellite? Stakeout? Did you plant something on me when I wasn't looking?"

"No, I-"

"I'M THE ONE WHO'LL ASK THE QUESTIONS HERE." I interrupted. Damn I owe Dojima an apology, doing that is satisfying.

"…Finished?" Naoto asked, clearly not appreciating my sense of humour. Her loss.

"Yeah. I just always wanted to do that."

"If you want me to be honest, I just asked that guy over there in the bear costume." She said, pointing behind and to the left of me.

Oh. Wait. OH.

I whipped my head around to where she was pointing to find Teddie handing balloons out to kids like there was nothing wrong with the fact that he was a _freaking bear that could take off his own head, armed to the teeth with terrible puns_.

I quickly excused myself with an eloquent: "UuuaghI'llberightback!" and nearly slammed into Teddie as I ran.

"Sensei, hi! Want a balloon?"

"You're in our world." I said, trying in vain to get past that thick, fuzzy skull of his "Why? Why the hell are you in our world?!"

Teddie shrugged, or at least gave his best imitation of one due to lack of a neck and shoulders. It came out as an odd little bounce. "I dunno, I got bored."

I'd say it was a weak excuse but... Well, it's Teddie. He does things like this. And now I have to clean up any mess he caused.

"Fair enough." I conceded, "Did anyone see you come in?"

"No, I just started walking around until someone yelled at me then handed me these and told me to stand outside like this." At this he took a few steps back and started waving and turning to the other patrons at Junes. I don't know whether it was the fact that he was just that good at it or what, but hell, I almost bought the whole bunch off him.

After a few seconds of demonstrating, he looked back at me and said: "Am I doing something wrong? I mean, am I forbearden from here?"

Not gonna lie. That one almost made me want to tear off his head and throw it in the river. But, he seemed to be enjoying himself, at least until I came along.

=Can't imagine why…=

-Remind me to laugh at that when I use you against a fire shadow.-

Well, it's not like he was causing trouble or anything.

"…Alright, you can stay-But! Only if one of us agrees to take you home." This is gonna be a problem for so many reasons, I can just tell.

I asked him if he wanted to talk with us but he declined. He said he was having fun with these smaller usses (apparently what he calls children, I'm gonna have to talk to him about that). Which was a bit of a relief because if there was one thing I didn't need, it was another thread in the web of accusations for Naoto to trap me in.

Which brought me back to square one.

I gestured for her to sit as I walked back but she declined. Oh well, at least she can't call me uncivilized.

"So, what did you find out from your thrilling interrogation with a man in a bear suit?" She glanced back over, "And a bad one at that."

"Well for one I found out that the store's having this great sale on socks and gauze. Isn't that something you'd be interested in Naoto?" Did she think I'd forgotten or something? She might've caught me with my pants down but there's no way I'm making this easy for her.

While Naoto was flustered, I managed to sneak a quick smack behind Yosuke's head, informing him that the best thing to do is not gawk at Teddie and the children. A) It would be dealt with later and B) he was getting odd stares from the customers.

Naoto cleared her throat "I'd like to speak with Seta alone if you don't mind."

Yosuke stood and crossed his arms. His attempt at looking imitating unfortunately leaning more towards the look of one of those middle-aged people in constipation commercials.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to join you two."

"Hanamura, it would be much better if Seta and I walked by ourselves."

"Alright, I'll just walk along with you too."

Naoto met his gaze.

I sighed. "Yosuke, it's fine. He's a detective, not an assassin. Besides, when did Junes hire a giant _Teddie bear_ mascot?" I asked, putting extra stress on the name to make it clear what they needed to deal with first, while I went off to distract Prince of Darkness here for a while.

He stood there for a full minute before groaning in defeat and turning back to the others who were arguing in hushed whispers. I caught words like 'house-broken' and 'allergic to pan-dimensional fur' so apparently they'd caught on to the fact that 'Hey, that mascot that Yosuke has never mentioned being implemented before sure looks familiar.'

And now I have to walk alone with Naoto and somehow get out of explaining what I know about her and why. Granted, she managed to impress me with the fact that she could talk to me and not get irritated, which is a Herculean feat in its own right. And she _is_ my alternate timeline jailbreak buddy. But she's also my blackmailing buddy. You'd think I'd hate her but, she's got something to her.

=Considering how much of her I've seen up here, in more ways than one, I'd say it's pretty-=

"No one asked you."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. Let's take a walk, shall we?"

-(-)-

We managed to get to the river before she finally said something.

"How'd you find out?"

"Hmm?"

She turned, behind the ice in her eyes lay a heated paranoia that was about to thaw.

"My secret, how did you do it?"

"I'm the most questioned person by practically everyone who knows me. You finally get me alone and all you want to know is how I figured out you're a girl?" I asked, feigning incredulity. She works with cops all the time and yet I'm the one who called her out, it makes sense she'd be suspicious.

"Not entirely."

"Alright I'll tell you…Have you ever heard of the movie: Some Like It Hot?"

"No. And you're evading my question." she accused, before adding "Poorly."

"Of course you haven't. Well, worth a shot."

"Famous last words, Seta."

I know it sounds like I'm stalling, which would be an excellent observation. Because what else was I going to tell her? 'Hey Naoto, I found out you were a fragment of your brother's broken psyche told me so in an alternate timeline that I traveled back from last week'? Actually, I'm filing that one away, might make a good story after all this blows-OH MY GOD MY LIFE'S TURNED INTO BACK TO THE FUTURE. SWEET!

"Seta!"

Yosuke came running down the incline waving the papers Kanji had taken, just what I needed, another reason for Naoto to be on my back.

"You're not gonna believe this, man!" he shouted gleefully.

"You're not betting on that are you?"

"Listen now, snark later! You remember that kid Kanji was interrogating." he said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I muttered, pointing in the direction that Naoto would have been had she not disappeared somehow. Great, now _I_ have a reason to be paranoid about someone.

"You know, the one who managed to connect the murders to their appearance on TV. Kanji tracked him down again and he managed to find practically everything the kid put to paper, you gotta see it!"

As we were scrambling back up the grass, a noise ripped through the afternoon haze. Behind a tree came Naoto gunning for it on-

"A _SCOOTER_?! HE'S GOT A _SCOOTER_?!" At least, that's what I'm sure Yosuke was trying to say, had I not gripped him by the waist with Izanagi's claws and hung him from my back like a baby koala. Funny analogy, actually, because as we speed through the countryside, Yosuke complained as much as an _actual_ baby koala might.

"FUCK ME, MAN! HE HAD AN ESCAPE PLAN AND EVERYTHING. HE SET YOU UP! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE TAGGED ALONG, BUT NO! AND NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE!"

"Hey Yosuke, did you hear the one about the high school student of a rural town who inexplicably fell out of the sky one day?"

-(-)-

We were coming up on the town now, which isn't the greatest place to hide the fact that you're secretly chasing a scooter on foot at the same speed _as_ the scooter. A note to those who haven't been paying attention: Sukukaja is still awesome.

"Why aren't you worried that someone might spot us?" Yosuke asked as I ran.

"A) This town has at max: four people on the same street at once. B) ¾ of those people are children. And C) Would you believe me if I told you?"

His head bobbed from side to side as he thought about it. "If it was you, yeah, actually."

"Yeah, but you know me. Do you see her?"

I stopped briefly so Yosuke could get his bearings. "No, I think we lost her."

I shook my head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter if we see her or not, I think I know where he's going."

After a few more minutes of leaping, near misses and an all in all teaser trailer worthy experience. We reached the police station and dropped down behind it. We ran out to the parking lot just in time to see Naoto pull in.

"Naoto, we don't mind it if you bring this information to Dojima and everyone else at the police station."

"We don't?" Yosuke asked, surprised.

"Of course we don't. We want this whole mess done with too, remember?" I tried matting down my wind torn hair as I said: "We just don't want you to use our names, okay? Say you got it directly from the kid and bring him in or something like that. Everybody wins."

"You owe me answers, Souji-san." She said, hiding her shock at our presence very well.

"And... I can give you some of them. Some secrets aren't mine to disclose. But what I can tell you, I will."

"Hey, Seta? You gonna let go of me anytime soon?" Yosuke asked from my back. In answer I unceremoniously dropped him and cancelled the graft on my hands while hiding them behind my back.

"So, can we shake on it?" Naoto looked at my outstretched hand and back at me.

"I don't know why," she said, palming my hand in a dainty yet firm handshake. "But I feel I'm going to regret this."

I smirked "Welcome to life with Souji."

-(-)-

=_Hey, woman, you got the blues/Cause you ain't got no one else to use/There's an open road that leads nowhere/So just make some miles between here and there._=

-_Obnoxious Little Demon! Obnoxious Little Demon!_-

"How can you possibly be humming to yourself at a time like this?" Chie asked.

We'd all piled into Yosuke's bedroom after regrouping at Junes. I sat on the bed (as was my right as leader). And everyone else sat in front of it in a semi-circle. The atmosphere was somber. We'd just lost our first big lead since…Dammit! We've never had anything this good! I can't ask Dojima about it because he'd be curious as to how I knew the kid was being questioned by the cops. The best I could hope for was him to casually bring it up somehow. And while I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony.

"Sorry." I mumbled to her, pointing to my head in a motion that had become universal language in our group for: 'Seta's being batshit crazy right now, please leave a message after the tone.'

It was one of those moments in any good mystery where it was best to savor the misery and hope for some better news another time.

"Hey, wait a minute… "Kanji piped up, his eyebrows furrowed as he searched the room.

"Where's that…bear, person, thing from the store today?

…

What.

Then the room exploded.

"I THOUGHT YOU TOOK HIM!"

"YOU MEAN HE'S ALL ALONE OUT THERE?"

"HE COULD BE LOST! OR WORSE…"

Metaphorically, it metaphorically exploded.

-(-)-

Somewhere, amidst the looming shapes of the closed stores, a lone wail could be heard as it begged for its agony to be pierced and deflated by the sweet relief of death.

"Don't come any closer!"

Teddie was lost; he knew that because this was the first time he'd ever been to where his sensei always left to. He didn't understand why this strange plane was rejecting him; he just wanted a place where he could stay with his friends.

"I mean it; I've got teeth you know!"

But _no_ said this eldritch land: with the lashing of its winds, and the pain of its scorching sun. _You were not meant to enjoy the fruitfulness that I bear. It is meant only for the select few who deserve it. They are not you, you are but a guest, one who must be tolerated for a __time before you are crumpled up and thrown back to where you belong._

"I don't see why you have to leave so soon."

The young girl was confused, she knew this because the toy bear she had her parents purchase for her had suddenly leapt from its spot at her tea party and began groggily talking about how this wasn't where it had sat down to nap.

Now he was ineffectively swiping at the other guests that crowded the table. Who didn't seem to appreciate the odd disruption from what had seemed at the time, another friendly face at their tea party. Or they would be, if they weren't stuffed.

Plastic cups clattered at the floor as his paws blindly wind-milled around the room until they found purchase on a window.

With a mad cackle, the bear leapt up to the window and jumped through to the outside. The only evidence he was ever there was little Haru becoming extremely paranoid about which toys she asked for in the future. And the dogs on her street started to huddle more closely if they were found on the prowl during the night.

-(-)-

A/N: You might've noticed a change in that last section that it isn't Seta's first person perspective. Neither of us wanted to lose the scene but we couldn't figure out how to use it while staying in Seta's perspective. So that might happen from time to time.

Thanks for reading.


	38. Riddle Me This!

*Brrrt, brrrt*…*Brrrt, brrrt*

"Hey, Nanako, it's, uh, it's Seta. Is Uncle home?"

_\_Hey, Big Bro! Why're you calling home? Are you in trouble?_\_

"No, no, I'm not in trouble or anything, yet. I was just calling to let Uncle know that I might be home a little late and that'd it be best if he saved the socia- I mean, lecture for tomorrow."

_\_Why?_\_

"I'm, uh, just hanging out. With my friends. Y'know the ones you've only seen like once or twice… Yeah, we're just having a little late night fun, painting the town red, sex drugs n' rock and roll, all that fun stuff." I just said the 's' word... the other 's' word to a five year old. Pfft. And Uncle called me a good influence. "... So, is he home?"

_\_No... He got called away._\_

"Called away, huh? What for?"

_\_I 'unno. He muttered something about a weird guy in a costume doing stuff._\_

"Really! Weird guy in a costume you say!" I repeated with wide eyes for Chie's benefit. "Did he say where?"

_\_No. You weren't gonna look for him too, were you?_\_

"Uh-huh."

_\_Weird guys are weird, Big Bro! Stranger danger, remember?_\_

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

_\_'Sides, Dad'll find him soon._\_

"Yeah, well, alright. Thanks for letting me know about him, I'll be sure to keep an eye out just in case. Good-by-."

_\_Bye, Big Bro! I love you!_\_

"Uh…Iloveyoutoo, bye."

"That was very sweet of you, Seta."

Chie sat on the bench closest to the payphone. Her face the only thing distinguishable in the night as she kept her eyes glued to the screen on her cellphone, waiting for anything that might give us a hint as to where the little furball ran off to.

Tch. Using a payphone. I mean I had to keep my cell free but to think I used one of these things. Surprised I even found one that works. Then again, it's a small town, maybe there's still call for them here.

Heheh. 'Call'.

Chie sighed, looking up from her phone. "Nothing yet, Yosuke and the others said they've had to dodge your uncle, Naoto, and a few cops that are out looking for guess who…But other than that, nothing."

"Nanako looks up to you, ya know." She added after a pause. "It's kind of funny. You're always cynical and sarcastic, and yet you go out of your way to protect her. It's like you're her big brother or something."

"Well, that is what she calls me, I mean she's known me, what, a couple of months?"

I rolled that last part around in my head for a minute as I moved to sit next to her.

"'I don't know why, though, maybe it's because I see something similar between my father and I there. And the less of me there are on the planet, the better." I muttered.

"You and your father don't really get along I'm guessing?"

"Picked up on that, huh?" I asked, smirking. Considering it's pretty much all that my 'inner demons' talk about it would be a difficult thing to miss.

=So when you say inner demons do you mean me or do you mean your demon half or do you mean-=

-I get it, I won't use that particular turn of phrase any more. Too confusing.-

"Look, I know you probably want to try and ask me about him. And I've demonstrated pretty thoroughly how that's a Bad idea with a capital B. So I'll lay out the gist of our relationship in as few words as possible. He's grooming me to be his heir... No, that doesn't cover it. He's constructing an heir from some parts he took from him and my mother that just happens to have formed into me. I stopped having a meaningful relationship with him when I was seven and he started handing me off to assistants to look after. Then assistants of assistants. Now I'm pretty certain I'm just one of many projects that he receives reports on."

"I'm sorry." She said, trying to be sympathetic.

"Please don't say that. It's not possible for you to understand so please don't pretend-"

"HEY!" Chie shouted, suddenly indignant. "I do understand! And so do Yosuke and Yukiko! We all understand after we saw that younger version of you! Just like you understand all of us better than other people can after what you've seen of us!"

…

She's right. "I'm sorry."

Her anger visibly waned. "I know. And I'm sorry too for... you know, how weird I've been lately."

"Well since that was a direct result of how weird I've been lately, I think we can call that one even." I joked weakly before studying my shoes.

"Seta?"

"Hm?" I responded nonverbally, turning to look at her on instinct.

Then she kissed me.

***SMASH!***

**Thou art I…I am thou…**

**It brings thee closer to the truth…**

**Thou sha-**

And then she immediately shoved me away.

**-Ahs ouhT**

…_**hturt eht ot resolc eeht sgnirb tI**_

…_**uoht ma I…I tra uohT**_

***!HSAMS***

_OW!_

I had to rerun the whole scene about three times just to make sure it actually happened: She kissed me, the voice started running through the motions, and then she shoved me onto the grass about half a second later. Yep, it's official; I just got rejected by one of the few girls I actually like. I mean, I've had worse rejections but…sheesh.

"What the hell was that!?"

Chie had backed away to the farthest edge of the bench and she was staring at me. Well, she was staring at a point of me, but it felt more like she was staring at me just so I wouldn't break eye contact. She looked as if she couldn't tell whether to gauge what I was most likely to do next, or just flat out run for asylum. It was like to her, I was some sort of monster or…

Or…

Chie was scared of me. Or at least, that _other_ part of me, which makes two of us.

I tried my best to soften my stare. "I mean…just…just…forget that. Forget I said anything, it was stupid, I'm sorry."

I got up and sat back down on the bench. I glanced at her and saw her figure rising and falling irregularly. She'd gone back to staring at her phone's screen, but it was obvious that she wasn't really looking at it, the backlight kept dancing around her face because of how hard her hands were shaking, and eventually, she dropped it.

"No!"

I hadn't even moved for it.

She stared for about a full minute, picked her phone back up, and then pulled herself into a little ball.

=Well, ya better do something, cutter.=

-I'm thinking.-

=No you're not.=

-How do you know that?-

=Because I'm not telling you how stupid of an idea it is!=

-Just let me do this on my own, I already have to deal with your voyeurism at every other moment of my life, it'd be preferred if it wasn't also in one of the most important conversations I'm about to have.-

=Don't count your chickens, mate=

I turned to face Chie, and put my hand out, palm up. "Chie, give me your hand."

I heard some sort of muffled noise from her; I guess it's a polite decline.

"Chie, I know how you feel about…" I gestured vaguely, "this. But I need you to trust me, give me your hand."

A moment passed, and there were a few failed attempts, but I finally got her hand gripped in mine.

_-Soul Graft: Left arm.-_

Chie flinched visibly as the change occurred.

"See? I'm completely in control. It won't hurt you. It might not be... I might not be... It's _not_ normal but it's a part of me. And there is no part of me that would ever hurt you."

She unfurled a little bit more for a better look at it. It's one of the few times I've pulled out my grafted hand without some shadow's internals hooked in the other end. So I got a chance to do my own scrutiny:

Black pinstripes ran down the entire length of the sleeve. Further up, at the shoulder, gold pads, ingrained with "イザナギ" were placed on both sides. I did my best to keep the metal claws as far away from Chie as possible.

She took the hand and put it to her face; she ran it down her neck and placed it on her shoulder. She held it there for a moment and then she flipped it over and started stroking the palm.

She looked me in the eyes.

"Do you believe me now?" I asked.

Still gripping the palm she nodded. And then she tugged at it and pulled me in for another kiss.

*SMASH!*

**Thou art I…I am thou…**

FUCK YEAH!

-(-)-

"I'm home."

"Welcome home big bro!"

"Sensei!"

I turned away from my excavation of the fridge to actually get a look at what was going on in the living room. Nanako's voice had been a surprise, but not unexpected. She was probably waiting for her dad to get back. Teddie's little squeaks had been much more shocking, however.

You'd think someone on the run from the cops wouldn't be the kind of person to sit down to a tea party.

But, no, there he was, sitting there nibbling away at a pastry (I'm making how he eats the first question I ask him after how the hell he got here). And sitting next to a smiling Nanako.

"You know," He began, "this isn't my first party tonight, or my second even!" He smiled at this fact. "I think my second party was my favorite, because I got all these cool things!" And he unzipped his head to reveal that he'd stuffed his interior with glowsticks. I had to physically look away, it was painful.

"It was kind of weird, though..." He went on, after he zipped his head back shut. "There were already lights there, but I think, they were broken. They were always constantly flashing, so I guess that's why they gave these out. I didn't stay long, this guy came up to me and started yelling at me about all the shadows he saw, and then he took a nap. So I got out of there and then Nanako found me in her backyard, and I'm here now!" He beamed. How the hell does he stay that happy?

"Do you want one?"

-(-)-

"So, yeah, that's why Teddie is sleeping in my closet."

_\_Uhhh…Okay…_\_

After politely disengaging Teddie from Nanako, I brought him up to my room and dialled Yosuke to call off the search.

"I think I'm just gonna have him stay here, I doubt he'll let go of Na-NononoDON'TTOUCHTHAT!" A loud crash and a model I spent a week building is in pieces. So much for that hobby. "He won't easily let go of Nanako now that he found out that she likes to play with him. Not to mention, I'd hate to be the one to tell Nanako that I have to take Teddie somewhere else. The hardest part'll be convincing my Uncle that it's just some toy…"

"…Speaking of Uncle, did he ever catch any of you?"

_\_No, we were almost spotted by Naoto, but I managed to sneak us out of it._\_

I ran my fingers over the bridge of my nose. "Let me guess, you tried to sneak everyone else out in a cardboard box, right?"

He scoffed, like I offended him. _\_'Tried?' When you sneak within the confines of enemy territory, there is no 'try' there is only victory!_\_

"Yeah, well, great. It's been a long night, we can talk about it more tomorrow, Liquid Snake."

There was a sigh from the other end of the call. _\_Yeah, I'm gonna let everyone know they can go home and we can talk tomorrow, see ya._\_

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow."

*Click*

-(-)-

Alright, so not only do I have to worry about everything else under the sun. Now, I have to be incredibly paranoid that Teddie will start touching my stuff while I'm at school.

Life. Is. Gooooood.

And then the kid in that stupid afro started talking to me.

"Yo!"

I had only wanted a little time for myself, just me and my lunch on the roof. That was it. I did not need to deal with more wacky personalities today!

"Well as I live and _breathe_! If it ain't the cat I've been lookin' for just walks on past like he owns it all! Been here two months and he's already standin' strong like he _belongs_!" Oh I so hope that rhyme was accidental.

He ran up to my spot near the fence, his globular mound bouncing with each step (that thing has to be fake, I swear. I don't even think people _from _the 70's have had afros that big).

"So what's going down, my brutha?" He sat down next to me.

"You know everyone thinks you deal drugs in the bathrooms, right?" I replied, nonplussed.

"Well, if you're gonna act like some jive turkey, then I guess I'll be takin' my 411 on the murders somewhere else."

I immediately stopped and tugged him back down next to me.

"Alright, you can stay, what do you know?"

"Now, hold up. I'm not digging your vibes. If you want me to give ya the scoop, y'all have to answer one of my famous, mind-bending riddles."

"What."

He cracked his knuckles and popped his collar... that was already popped.

"Alright, this here's a categorization puzzle, but it ain't baby school. 3…2…1..."

I was almost certain he was going to cry 'let's jam', but I can't be certain. He started in on his riddle so I painstakingly dragged my attention back to him.

"Skateboard's in group A."

"Go-kart's in group B."

"Egg-timer's all up in group A."

"Alarm clock is strictly in group B."

"So…who does protractor ride with? Group-"

"A, all the ones in group A require outside force."

He seemed to deflate a little when I answered so quickly.

"Fo' sho'!" He said. He must never meet Teddie. The horrors they could commit together would drive me to murder. "Uh, anyway. I was searchin' for all the info I could on those murders. When suddenly, I was noticin' a pattern. The guys in the idiot box were guys _from _the idiot box!"

"So you just kept that information to yourself?"

"No! I ain't no bogart, but I was in it for a little of that cash they were offering to anyone who had some info. I was about to give it to the Man when some cheese-eater told 'em that I had it and cleaned me out. Can you believe it? I can't think of anyone who knew that I had all that."

Clearly this guy had nothing novel to give us. I was packing my lunch when he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"But seriously, though." His whole demeanour shifted at this point, he voice even sounded a little deeper. "That ain't the only thing I put eyes on. Funny thing how each o' those who got on that _Midnight Channel_ ended up in yo' runnin' crew. See, I'm thinkin' I got the knowledge on what y'all is doin', ya dig?"

"Oh, is that right?" I asked, sarcastically.

"I can answer in a count of three, my _extra_ soulful brutha."

"Per."

"So."

"Na."

My jaw worked soundlessly for a few seconds, before I decided on the best way to respond to that. "Alright! This is getting beyond ridiculous now! The creepy dude who decided to mindfuck me last year, the metalworks guy, and now the weird afro kid all have persona! What's next? Are the cops with magic powers next? Maybe Yukiko's stalker! Or the principal!"

"Woah woah! Peace, man! Ain't no need for the harsh vibes! I just wanted to let you know, you need me? I got yo' back!" he told me, slapping my back for emphasis.

"Don't do that. So you want to help us fight?" I asked, taking a step away for personal space.

"Naw, man, I'm a lover, not a fighter." He said, waving his arms. "But I tell you what, I _know_ people. So you need somethin'? Somethin' that ain't so easy to find? I can _deliver_."

"So the crack about dealing drugs..."

"Ha ha! Well I ain't sayin' that but... Well I ain't _not _sayin' that either, ya feel me?"

"And your persona? What does it do if it doesn't fight?" I asked.

"Well how 'bout we make it another riddle, my riddle-brutha? I'll say I 'get things goin'' and you can get back to me when you figure it out."

"Hey, Seta!"

The 'funky' student walked off and put up the 'keep it touch' hand signal as he reached the door. Looks like I'll keep calling him Funky since I didn't get his name.

"What's up?"

"They're assigning groups for the camping trip, it's first come first serve. Come on!"

-(-)-

A/N: Another chapter. And it didn't take months this time! This arrangement is working out!

Bit of a difference in opinion between myself and TntS on Funky Student's dialogue. I thought the way he wrote it skewed too modern. Words like 'dawg' and 'blood' were apparently used in the 70s but are still used today and I figured using them would lessen the effect. On the other hand, the way I wrote it (as seen in this version), he claimed read more like something... a bit on the racist side. And accurate to circa 1880. I'm paraphrasing, mind.

So I'm looking forward to people's opinions on it.

Thanks for reading!


	39. Wants

{06/08/11: Tuesday}

Okay, just going to get this off my chest, then we can continue.

FUCK.

THE.

KONISHIS.

Yep, I feel better already.

I suppose now I should explain my feelings better, let's start from the top.

I barreled down the hallway to the camping group request sheets. Mostly because I'm juggling enough Social Links as it is, and I don't want to be plopped into a different group of kids who seem normal only to find out that one of them has dysfunctional parents. Or maybe lost a leg. Or one of them is secretly a furry.

Where are all the normal kids at this school!? Why do I always find the weird ones?

=Said the boy with parent issues who talks to voices he hears in his head.=

I was about to shoot a comment his way (I have a list, actually, very handy) when I was jerked back by my uniform's collar. I knew having it popped would bite back one day. Curse my inimitable sense of style!

"Where the hell are you running off to in a hurry? About to find some poor girl you can mack on?"

Oh, g_ood_. It's Mr. Morooka everybody. Let's give him a hand. Preferably clenched tightly and hurtling towards his ugly-

"If you ask me," He continued, dragging me down the opposite direction as he lectured. "You kids need to take your heads outta each other's asses and put them in a book every once in a while! Hell, I remember when little shits like you were beaten until you finally got some sense…"

"Yes, sir." I complied, "Understood sir, we're all terrible people until we follow your golden commandments sir. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I really need to sign up for the camping trip-"

"Ha! And let you pick a group with all the little whores! Fat chance, remember when I said you made my shitlist?"

"No, mostly because the sooner I forget any interaction I previously had with you the less I have to bring up in future therapy sessions."

He sneered. Well, that might be a bit too complementary. He gave me an expression very similar to one I saw on a gorilla in a documentary.

"Well, today, I'm going to show you where the shitlist gets you."

-(-)-

"You just want me to volunteer at the nurse's office?"

The group of kids already taking residence in the cream colored office gave me a confused expression. I wasn't offended by it, though. That look tends to be standard whenever someone meets me.

One kid, a timid girl in glasses, finally volunteered a question. "Well, uh, what were you expecting?"

"I dunno, considering how King Moron kept going on about it, I was expecting less: 'Maintaining school safety.' And more: 'How heavy is the soul that weighs on your shoulders?' Besides that, what am I going to do here? I mean, there's already, what, three of you, not including the guy I'm filling in for?"

A different girl answered this time. Two locks near the top of her head bobbed up and down as she said, "Well, normally four of us walk around school grounds and 'maintain the status quo' while Ito-san, that's the kid you're filling in for, stayed here and kept up with inventory, made phone calls-"

"So I just sit around here while you guys do all the fun stuff?"

"Basically, yes."

I wanted to complain, but then I remembered I'm sitting around here while also missing the last half of my school day.

So I sat at the main desk and complied like a good little student while the others left.

"If anyone stops by while we're gone." One of them added as the door closed behind them, "Don't use any of the medicine, stick to the first aid kit."

…Medicine, you say?

=Don't do it.=

-Look, what they don't know won't hurt them, and not knowing that this will go to the greater cause of helping the team and I save this city and possibly the world won't hurt them so much that they'll feel even better than before. Now be a dear and help me find my most inconspicuous looking pockets.-

=No, I meant don't do it now. Someone's coming back.=

I whipped around and quickly stuck the two nearest bottles in my back pockets in time to see an smartly dressed business man in thick glasses close the door.

"Hello, I'm Kitao and I represent Santo Pharmaceuticals."

"Oh, hey. I'm Seta and I represent…Seta. What can I help you with?"

Kitao looked around the room. "Aren't there any adults around? Could you take a message for me?"

"Alright, sure, just let me get some paper an-"

"Your school placed an order for gauze, I need to know if the order can wait until the month after the next month. Give my regards to your teacher."

"Wait, wait, hang on. Just let me get some paper-" Aaaand he's gone.

I stood looking at the closed door as I tried to run the past thirty seconds back with meticulous attention.

And then everyone came back.

"Oh, hey! Uh, you guys got a message while I was here. A man named Kendo-"

=Kitao.=

"I mean, uh, Kitao from…Sandy, no…Saku-"

=Santo Inc.=

"Right! Santo Inc. was asking about the gauze."

The brown haired girl perked up. "Oh yeah!" She exclaimed, "Sensei left a note telling us about that, I'll call him and let him know, thanks."

What was with that guy? You'd think he'd stick around and make sure I could relay information like that. And why'd he describe it as 'the month after the next month.'? Is it really that hard to say 'In about two months'?

The brown haired girl put the phone down. "Sensei said he'd get in contact with them, thanks Souji-senpai."

"Yeah, no problem. So now what?"

"Well, now the gathered teams are debriefed and I write up a log to give to sensei."

God, that sounds familiar.

While I was double checking to make sure that her hair didn't faintly resemble any blueness in tone, I failed to notice the entire shift in demeanor of everyone besides me.

Brown-haired stood her tallest, she almost seemed taller than me for a second, and barked, "GROUP 1, STATUS REPORT."

"Sir!" Went Timid-Black-Hair, lined up in perfect stance with the other two students.

"Operation Status Quo has been maintained, Sir! Students are enjoying themselves, Sir!"

"Would you describe these students as Happy-Go-Lucky, Retsu-san?"

"Affirmative! Tomiko-san, sir!"

Brown-hair clasped Retsu's shoulder. "Excellent job, soldier. Now then, Group 2...oh…right."

Tomiko softened for a second before getting back in the spirit.

"I'm sure you managed to cover for Naoki, soldier."

"Affirmative!...poor thing." She added to herself.

The only other male student rolled his eyes. "Come on guys!"

As the two girls shot the student a dirty look, another kid came in through the door.

"Sorry I'm late." He said.

Retsu jumped, "N-no Naoki, you're fine!"

Tomiko joined in, "Yeah, you didn't have to come, working at your parent's store is hard, I'm sure." She pointed to me. "Look, we even found a replacement."

Oh joy, now I'm getting dragged into this.

Naoki looked me up and down. His eyes had a hollow look to them. "I don't want to be the only one…"

Well, I know where this is going.

Tomiko brought her finger back to me.

"Don't worry, Souji-senpai will help you clean up the office while we report to sensei."

Yep. Now I get to use the remainder of my day cleaning up with Mr. Sunshine here.

"I'm Naoki." He said, "A first year. You knew Saki Konishi, right? I'm her brother."

Well, at least I know where he got his winning personality from.

"You're friends with Hanamura, right?"

I nodded, testing his questions like a blind man might test female genitalia. Not entirely sure and hoping he didn't find a prick.

"I hate him…and you, too." He seemed to add this part when he realized he couldn't grasp for something wittier.

Looks like I found a prick.

He glanced around the room. "Can I go home now?"

I knew better than to try and force him to work with me, so I let him go.

"…Goodbye."

At least he has his manners. Sometimes.

I cleaned up the rest of the place and started packing up when Chie walked in through the doors.

"Yo."

"Hey, be a friend and smuggle this in your bag." I handed her a few of the various bottles from the shelves and went to look for anything better.

"...I want to say that's one of the strangest things I've heard you say yet, but I'd be lying."

"So we're going to keep up the snark even though I'm your boyfriend now?"

Chie paused as she tried to find the words she wanted to say. Or at least, the words she could say.

"That's actually what I'm here to talk to you about; I think we should at least talk it over whether or not we should be in a relationship right now. Considering the circumstances y'know?"

"Alright, I can solve that easily. Do I like you: Yes. Do you like me?"

Chie flushed. "Well, I mean…yeah, I guess."

"We both like each other. Therefore, we should be in a relationship. Problem solved." I concluded, hoping my rushed speech didn't betray my nervousness. Especially when the worrying phrase 'I guess' registered in my mind.

"I didn't mean that. I was talking about everyone else." She argued, making a gesture I assume meant 'other people'.

"Well Yosuke's ideal girlfriend is dead and also kind of a despised him, Kanji's gay, and Teddie's…Teddie." I pointed out. Really no need for further clarification on Teddie's Teddieousness.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Chie asked with a pointed look.

I started rotating through the list of people I know.

"... Ichibi the Magic Fox?"

"Yukiko!"

Oh.…Ohhhhhh.

-(CHIE'S FUNTIME FLASHBACK!)-

Yukiko and I have been friends since preschool. We've grown up in the same neighbourhood and we've been each other's best friend since, wow, I can't even think of a time we weren't. We didn't need anyone else. Because we were Chie and Yukiko! We didn't want anyone to take us away from each other. And then, sometime in middle school, something changed around her. She seemed to stare at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention, her hugs seemed to last a little longer than normal. And she seemed a little more disappointed when I talked to the other kids at our school. I remember one time in particular when we were changing for gym one day.

Everyone was always nervous about changing into their uniform. It was just something that came as such an audacious statement: _Undressing? In front of other people? _Yukiko, however, she was always the first one in and would've been the first one out…if she didn't linger. But she always sat in one corner, sitting in a trance and talking to no one until the coach blew her whistle and we were whisked away by the mass of the other students.

Then an attentive student with dark hair in a mop, finished storing her glasses in her locker and walked over to Yukiko.

"Yukiko-san?"

She snapped back to reality when the girl talked to her "Hm?"

"Why are you still here? You finished dressing, already. You _always _finish before everyone else, and you still just hang around."

Yukiko paused before politely saying. "Well, I just like having time to sit down without having to worry about school or the hotel, y'know? Just a few minutes to myself so I can sit and think about things going on in my head."

The girl pressed on. "What are you thinking about, then?"

Yukiko's eyes seemed to deaden. "I don't want to bring it up, not yet, anyway. I've thought about only recently…and it's kind of hard to wrap my head around."

The girl nodded, and then a wide grin stretched across her face. "I think I know what it is." She replied in a singsong voice.

Yukiko jumped nervously. "Y-you do?"

The girl nodded again. "Yep! You're in _love _Yukiko."

"W-what?!"

The remainder of dress break consisted of nearly every girl having a go at trying to deduce who the lucky fellow was. Each name, ranging from likely to 'less likely than a lucrative snow shoveling business in Hell.' ended with Yukiko shaking her head until finally the coach came and rescued her with her whistle.

(BREAK)

"It was you."

Chie seemed taken aback that'd I'd deduced what this entire conversation had spawned from, but nodded her head in answer.

"Yeah. I never really thought about that conversation until it started becoming fairly more obvious that Yukiko seemed to have something…stronger for me than I recognized. But I shrugged it off as a passing crush and left it at that."

"And then there was that night. It started with the phone call."

-(END BREAK)-

"Chie?"

"Yukiko? God, what time is it? Like one in the morning?"

"Chie, I need you to look out your window."

I groggily shook myself lucid and staggered over to the curtains. Pulling them aside, I found Yukiko standing in my backyard. The light from her phone reflected the fresh tears dripping down her chin and the dust that caked her face.

"Chie, I ran away from home, I want you to come with me. Please say yes."

"Yukiko? W-what the heck are you talking about? What are you _doing _here?"

"I ran away from home, I don't want that stupid hotel. Let's just go somewhere, anywhere, just make it as far away as possible. Please say yes."

I turned on my light and saw that Yukiko and torn her kimono in several places, notably the skirt. Large gashing tears that ended just above her knees showed that she'd torn it of in sections somewhere along the way for movability.

We both took a seat on the floor and Yukiko looked to me expectantly.

"What?"

"Do you need me to help you pack?"

"What do you mean?"

Yukiko cocked her head to one side. "I just told you, I'm running away, you're coming with me."

"Yukiko, that's insane! Why do you need to run away?"

She threw her hands to the ground in frustration. "Because my parents are stupid! All they every want of me is to be the good little hotel manager like they are! I don't want that, who'd want to be kept stuck in a hotel keeping after people you've never met before? I want to see the world, Chie, there's something out there for everyone, and I want to find what it has for me."

"But you don't even have a driver's license! What do you expect the world to give you when your income is still your own parents! Yukiko, I don't like telling you this but, the world's not like those books you check out at the library."

As I ranted at her, Yukiko kept silent. Nodding blindly at me and keeping her eyes on the floor, her finger playing with the patterns of the wood.

I finished and looked at her for a second before I hugged her, finally admitting. "And I'd miss you if you left without me."

"…Chie."

"I'd want nothing more than to see the world with my best friend, but, I have things I want to accomplish first. I want to graduate from school, finish college; I want to find my place in the world, too, Yukiko. But going away with you right now, that'd take me away from everything I want to do with my life. I'm sorry."

We finished embracing and I offered to give her a bath before I walked her home. She asked about my parents hearing but I told her they'd left on business so I was alone. That comment made Yukiko look at me.

"You're here all by yourself?" She asked as I helped her disrobe and led her to the water.

"Yep, I get to pick my own bedtime, watch all the kung-fu movies my parents disagree on. It's pretty fun."

Yukiko turned and faced the wall across from her. "I don't think I could ever be alone, it's scary. Just thinking about it makes me shiver."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "I get scared of it too sometimes. But then I remember that you're here in Inaba with me. And all those thoughts just sort of, disappear. You're my best friend, Yukiko."

We sat in silence for a few minutes until she told me she was ready to get out. I drained the water and handed her a towel. I was about to leave to get her some of my clothes when I heard her say.

"Chie, I love you."

(BREAK)

"So what'd you say?"

Chie faltered. "Well... I didn't really say anything. I smiled and hugged her, she took her bath, got dressed and we walked back to her house."

I must have given her a look because she continued with. "She's my best friend! What was I going to do, reject her and break her heart?"

"Well that depends," I said. "Do you consider yourself attracted to Yukiko?"

Chie paused and turned away from me. The school grounds were a speck on the horizon at this point, the sun winking its last precious rays away before disappearing for the night.s

Finally, Chie said, "I don't know. I mean, I've never thought about it. At the time…I was so caught up in the moment, I couldn't think of any way to answer."

"What happened after?"

"We went on our first date about three days after the incident. It was raining, so we went to the Aiya grill and tried that Rainy Day Challenge they offer."

I reflexively clutched my stomach. One day, I thought. You will be mine to conquer.

"And it kept going on like that for about a month or so. Yukiko asking me out, me agreeing. It wasn't much of a difference from before Yukiko asked me out.

And then... Yukiko tried to kiss me."

(END BREAK)

"Yukiko!" I pushed her away gently.

"What?" Yukiko asked with a confused expression on her face.

"What was that for?"

"You're my girlfriend, right?" She asked with a smile. "Don't I get to kiss my girlfriend every once in a while?"

Her calling me her girlfriend... It suddenly made me uncomfortable but I didn't know why. "Yeah, but…"

I started thinking about it, and I realized something. Yukiko saw it on my face, and said, "You don't think you can be my girlfriend…do you?"

Of course I tried to deny it to her, but, she had always been good at reading me, so I knew I'd lost the argument before it'd even started.

"I'm sorry, Yukiko." I said, praying this didn't ruin things between us. I started fidgeting and looking at my shoes, I didn't want to see that I hurt her.

But I guess I hadn't. "I understand." She had said sounding like she really did.

"I mean, I'm sure you'll find someone who reall-What?"

"I said I understand, you just need some time to think this over, and I can give you all the time you need." Yukiko told me, taking both my hands in hers gently, before letting go and walking away with a smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

(END FUNTIME FLASHBACK)

"And that was about a year ago. She still sometimes asks me about it, and I still tell her that I need more time." She sighed. "I wish I knew what I wanted."

"I think..." I paused as I thought through what I was going to say. "I don't think I can be objective about this. But no matter how it turns out, you should talk to Yukiko about it. Really talk. If it turns out you might feel the same way about her or if you don't, she deserves some kind of closure. I'm not sure it's fair to either of you to leave so much unsaid. As for me, well... I can wait until you find your answer." I finished, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks." Chie said, smiling weakly before we split up and went our separate ways.

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Chariot Arcana._

-(-)-

A/N: Well, I think I mentioned at some point that Yukiko needed more characterisation. So... There it is. Yukiko is bi. There's implications that this might be the case in canon but nothing overt. Also since people might believe it could go that way, no this will not become a threesome pairing or harem story. Those elements have their place, this story isn't that place.

We now have a plan for how often these chapters get posted. We're aiming for monthly. TNTS is already working on the next one which will be social links from here to the school trip.

Thanks for reading.


	40. Social Link GO! AGAIN!

{06/09/11: Wednesday}

So, yeah, yesterday was intense. I think it'd be best if I left Chie and Yukiko alone for a few days and let whatever happens, just happen. I mean, who am I to complain if it turns out they both like each other? I'm sure it'll lead to some interesting…_situations_.

=You worry me sometimes, I hope you know that.=

Either way, I think I might've been leaning towards Chie for Social Links. It's probably best that I take a break from her and focus on the others while we're still in a lull.

I pulled a crumpled sheet of paper out of my pocket, on it was every Social Link I'd formed up to this point. Next to each of them was a handful of check marks to show how far along I was with each.

Hmm… it's hard to decide, there are so few of you I tolerate. Maybe I should leave my Fate up to Destiny for once…

…

Eenie…meenie…minnie…_mo…_

As my hand randomly brushed past whichever poor sap needed his daily dose of vitamin Souji, my cell phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Yo." I replied into the speaker.

_/_Hey it's, uh, it's Kanji._/_ The unmistakable gruff voice answered. _/_Are you…busy or anything? Because I was wondering if you'd wanna do something later today._/_

I grinned as an idea rooted in my head.

"Why, certainly, Kanji. I expected you to pick up on certain…quirks of mine. But I never thought you'd be so _sudden._"

_/_The hell are you talking about?!_/_ He shrieked from his end. _/_ Did it sound like I meant anything like _that_?!_/_

I laughed. "Come on man, I'm just messing with you."

_/_Oh, yeah…yeah, I knew that. 'Just wanted to play along, y'know, see if it actually went anywhere. Not that I wanted it to!_/_ He added, digging himself deeper than my own words ever would've.

As he continued his flustered attempts to backtrack, I started to realize that I had rarely talked to Kanji outside of school or the TV World. I mean, what have I actually gathered about the kid besides my own scrutinizing? I should probably hang out with him a little so that doesn't turn into how I define him.

"Hey, all jokes aside, I've got nothing better to do. Meet me outside the dilapidated shrine; I've got a few things I need to settle there."

(-)

"I have no idea what I just saw, and I don't think I'll ever bring it up again."

Ichibi was too interested in the most recent donation to listen in on us, so we sat on one of the nearby benches. I glanced down at the latest request he'd nudged into my palm. I don't think I'll ever get used to the fact that I'm basically jumping through hoops for a _fox_of all things.

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember the first time I met, Ichibi."

Kanji turned to me. "You named it?" He asked.

"What, you think I was going to call it 'the magic, drug-peddling fox' all the time?"

"What's with the bib?" He said after a while.

Again my head shook. "Dunno, he came with that."

Kanji turned back to Ichibi. "I was just curious about who might've made it. It's like the stitching's not even _there_! And the pattern isn't too shabby either, wonder if it's handmade…"

He turned back to me and immediately scowled.

"Is something funny?" He demanded.

"No, no." I replied trying to hide my grin. "I'm just impressed with your attention to detail. I've never had any friends with a hobby like this. It's interesting."

Kanji's eyebrows leapt up, and then quickly knit back together to form one big, fuzzy line, like an albino caterpillar.

"No one's ever called it interesting." He mumbled, fumbling with the bullet on his necklace. "They never really called it anything, honestly. Whenever I brought friends over and they saw the sewing machine on my desk, they'd ask if it ever got annoying that my mom did her work in my room. I never really had the courage to tell them it was mine. I'd gotten it for my birthday, hell, I was the one who'd asked for it. But whenever someone brought it up, I'd just smile and agree that the noise got to me.

"I remember there was one girl who I finally confessed about it to, and she'd tilted her head to the side and was silent for a long time. And then she said that her mother had wanted her to get something and left. I knew it was an excuse, but I tried to push that thought away."

He fell silent for a little while. I tried to think of something to add, but words just wouldn't come. So I gave him a pat on the shoulder and nodded.

**SMASH!**

**_Thou shall be blessed when fusing Personae of the Emperor Arcana._**

After a brief silence, Kanji turned and faced me again. "If you _ever_tell anyone that I said this…"

I held up my hands defensively. "Relax," I grinned. "This'll be our little secret."

He immediately stood up. "Stop talking like that!" He shouted, his face already reddening.

I laughed and got up myself. We walked away from the shrine and grabbed a bite. Then we went our separate ways for the night.

(-)

Nanako was seated at the table, her face scrunched in thought as she looked at the papers in front of her. She seemed desperate.

"Do you want some help?" I asked, sitting down with a drink.

She looked like she was about to shake her head, but finally nodded. "Yeah," She said, looking down at her notebook paper. "We're supposed to write a paragraph about our family. I've got some stuff down about my Mom and Dad but…" She paused and looked at me. "I don't have anything about you, Big Bro."

I took a sip from my can. "Alright, ask me some questions."

"What did you do before you came to Inaba?"

I sat back as I thought about what I needed to censor for her. "Nothing too different from what I do now: school, friends, family, normal schoolboy things."

Nanako nodded and scribbled on the paper.

"What are your parents like?"

Oh boy. How do I word this? I thought, covering my silence with a sip.

"They... do their job, I guess," I began. "They make sure I have food, and clothes, they give me stuff from time to time."

"How often do you see them?"

"Not very often," Technically true, relatively speaking. "I'm shipped around from time to time due to their jobs."

She nodded, this time I couldn't tell if it was in agreement, or understanding.

"But I've got you guys as family now." I said. "And I have a little sister I need to look after." I tussled her hair as I said this.

Nanako beamed.

"Do you have any more questions?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Now I just have to draw a picture to go with it."

I got up from my spot and turned to head upstairs.

"Big bro?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

**SMASH!**

**_Thou shall be blessed when fusing Personae of the Justice Arcana._**

(-)

{06/09/11: Thursday}

So I hung out with Yumi in the hospital today. It was pretty much the two of us sitting around watching her father die. I felt so out of place, but it looked like I was helping her through it apparently, so I told her I'd come visit with her again.

Not much else to say besides I got another rank.

(-)

{06/10/11: Friday}

Yosuke and I went to the steak restaurant near Junes…That's actually all I have to say. We went out, ate steak, no rank up, woo.

(-)

{06/11/11: Saturday}

I need sports, badly. I don't care if it's freaking golf or something. Just give me a ball to throw or something to punch so I can actually do something besides listen to people's problems.

I practiced football routines with everyone and joined them at Aiya after clean up.

Nothing really happened this time, link wise either.

(-)

{06/12/11: Sunday}

Chie called today.

"Hey, is it alright if I come over today?"

I thought about it. Dojima's at work, Nanako's spending the weekend with a friend, and I dropped Teddie off at Yosuke's so he'd stop. Touching. My. Gundam.

I would be alone with Chie at the house.

… Sweeeet.

I told her it was fine and heard the doorbell ring a few minutes afterword. Opened the door and saw Chie. I also saw Yukiko behind her.

…

Okay. So my kind of sort of maybe girlfirend who may be bi-curious and her either gay or bisexual best friend just showed up at my front door.

Umm, this could be... a _very_ good thing or... a _really very bad_ thing.

Chie glanced around. "Can we go up to your room?"

…

=I don't believe it. Captain Daddy Issues' first ride is on a _tricycle_?!=

…

=Hang on, I've gotta find Roland so I can give him a play-by-play!=

…

-Sure whatever.- Okay, mental checklist. Porn hidden? Check. Wearing clean underwear? Check. Condoms. Check. And yes, I can be optimistic sometimes.

How long have they been waiting for me to say something? I nodded, trying very hard to keep the excited grin off my face.

When we got up there, Chie and Yukiko sat at the couch and I grabbed the swivel chair at my desk.

Chie looked back and forth between Yukiko and me and finally sighed.

"Yukiko, I need to tell you something."

Oh. Oh, please no.

Chie took Yukiko's hand. "I've kept it to myself for about a week or so now, and I'm not sure how you'll react to it."

=Aww, dammit. Sorry Roland... Yeah, he's getting fucked but... in a different way. Heheh. I'll tell ya about it later.=

Chie took a breath. "Yukiko, I want to date Seta."

"I know." Yukiko answered, as though it was obvious.

"I hope you understand that-what?"

Yukiko turned to face Chie, taking the tomboy's hands into hers. "I'm sorry, but you're so bad at keeping a poker face. I do see the way you look at him, you know. And I'm happy for you, honest! You've found someone who you connect with, on a level that not a lot of people understand. And I'm glad that you can admit it. But remember this." She added, tightening her grip.

"I will always love you, and I'll never stop. If this doesn't turn out to be what you expected, I'll still be there for you."

And then she kissed Chie.

… Sweeeet.

"Seta." She added, breaking away and leaving Chie in shock.

I turned to face her, our eyes locked. There was something behind them; it was something fierce and powerful, something that looked as if it had been dormant for quite a while, and had just recently been reawakened. It was hard to put down that look, but I wouldn't call it jealousy.

"Take good care of her."

I nodded, I've been doing a lot of it lately, haven't I?

**SMASH!**

**_Thou shall be blessed when fusing Personae of the Priestess Arcana._**

And she left.

Chie blinked once, twice, three times, and the collapsed on the couch.

I walked over and helped her get back to her feet, her face as beet red as Kanji's had been.

She attempted to sputter something but could only tremble and shake her hands around.

"Water?" I finally asked. She held her shaking down long enough to nod.

She was rubbing her temples and staring at the carpets when I came back with two glasses and an herbal supplement.

"Here," I gave her the pill and one of the cups. "I don't know if these actually work, but the bottle said it'd help with stress and nerves and that kind of stuff."

She nodded again and took a sip.

"I just want to say, kind of not cool that you decided to use me as a decoy if things had gone badly. I mean I get it but..." I trailed off, noticing her hands were still trembling. I guess I _don't_ get it, then. She was really terrified of how this might've gone down if Yukiko was less understanding, wasn't she? "Never mind. Are you okay with this?"

"Yes, Seta, if I have enough courage to tell her I want to, then I want to." She said firmly, putting down her drink and clenching fists to stop her shaking hands.

"You wanna try and do something today? Maybe take your mind off this a little?"

She shook her head. "Maybe some other time, Seta, I need to just... Wow. I didn't think she'd be the kind to do that but, I mean, whoa."

I nodded in agreement, "I know what you mean." I replied.

We hugged and she tentatively began to stumble down the stairs.

"Thanks for your help." She called as the door slid closed behind her.

**SMASH!**

**_Thou shall be blessed when fusing Personae of the Chariot Arcana._**

(-)

{06/13/11: Monday}

I had to substitute at the Nurse's office again. Naoki said he'd be there but he had to return some notes first. When I got to the office some of the kids were gossiping about him. I tried to get them to back off. I mean sure, the kid's an ass, but I've always had something against talking about people behind there back. It hits a little too close to home.

The kids finally stopped when they saw Naoki peek through the door. He apologized for interrupting before immediately leaving. I shrugged it off and helped with inventory before leaving for the day.

Naoki was at the lockers, I asked him what he was still doing here and he shrugged. Then he took a look at my shirt.

"Your sleeve's dirty." He commented. "It must've happened when you were doing inventory."

He gave me a handkerchief to clean it off with. The patterns were cute and the colors very light and soothing. It was probably Saki's at one point.

I tried to return it to the kid but he ran off before I had a chance. I stuffed in my back pocket. Next time, I thought.

(-)

I was over at Kanji's house today. I felt that, considering the huge emotional dump he'd poured on me the last time. There was definitely something he needed to get off his chest.

"We're probably not gonna be able to do much today." He shouted over the noise of his roaring sewing machine. "Around this time of the year business really picks up so I'm helping my mom with some of her orders."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I offered. "I feel kind of rude just standing here picking my nose while you slave away."

Kanji halted the machine so he could think. "Yeah," he said. "Do you mind working the register while I go into storage and grab something real quick?"

I nodded and walked out to the front of the store.

=So how exactly do you plan to bond with him while you're both in separate rooms?=

-I'm sure something'll come up eventually.-

=Something like? What, do you expect conflict to waltz through the front door?=

Suddenly the front doors burst open as a sobbing child tumbled into the store.

-Do you plan on running the lottery today?-

=Shut up.=

The kid came running up to the front desk and began frantically searching behind me. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but his sobbing left him beyond language. Kanji came up front a few minutes later, only to be assaulted by the kid and his tears.

"Hey! Hey! Ryuuto, what's wrong?"

"You know this kid?"

Kanji looked at me. "Yeah, his mom and mine go back, he'll show up from time to time and my mom always makes sure I'm always on my best behavior around him."

I was impressed, Kanji's good with kids, huh? Wish I could say the same.

Kanji finally managed to calm Ryuuto down enough to find out what had brought him here.

Takahama found me in-in the sandbox. And he s-s-saw my bear and said he wanted it, even though it was mine. So I told him n-no, and he shoved me into the sand, and then he took my bear and ran away!" The kid started getting incomprehensible again.

Kanji was silent for a moment, before getting up and walking back into his room. Only to come back out with a stuffed bear that…was better looking than any toy I'd ever seen marketed up here.

Even ifit _did_ look like Teddie.

He knelt back down and handed the bear to the kid.

"I don't know if you'll like it or not." He muttered. "I haven't really had much of a hand at stuffed things and stuff. The stitching's kind of uneven here and there and-"

He was cut off when the kid hugged him. "It's perfect." the kid said, he turned back to Kanji. "What should I call him?"

"I always called him Teddie, but, if you want to call him something else that's fine."

The kid ran the name over his tongue, he smiled. "I think it's a good name. Thank you, Tatsumi-san!" And her ran out.

Kanji stood up. "That was really nice of you." I said.

Kanji smirked. "Yeah, I guess. Now come on, we've got some kid we need to go tell on."

I did my best to stifle my laughter. He seriously tried to make that sound dramatic, didn't he?

**SMASH!**

_Thou shall be blessed when fusing Persona of the Emperor Arcana._

"So do you think you could make one of those for me to give to Nanako?"

Kanji nodded. "Yeah…for thirty bucks."

(-)

{06/14/11: Tuesday}

Yosuke came over to return Teddie. I made sure everything was on the highest shelves they could be placed at. He's too short and his arms too stubby to reach that way. And clown bears can't jump.

Another easy going day, video games, cheap food, rank, woo.

(-)

{06/15/11: Wednesday}

The camping trip is two days from now. I racked my brain for someone to hang out with but I'd already covered most of my list for the week.

I decided to gather everyone for some training. Kanji hadn't properly been introduced to the actual fighting part of the TV so it'd be good for some experience.

The dude brought a freaking chair, I wish I was kidding. When we started unpacking he pulled out an honest-to-god steel chair. What does he think we're going to be doing in there? Raise the freaking cage?

Of course, minutes after I brought it up. He smacked a Shadow directly in the face and watched it collapse under it before evaporating.

"You got something to say, Seta?" He asked dryly.

I rolled my eyes.

Chie and Yosuke learned a new spell and we all felt like crap afterwards.

(-)

{06/16/11: Thursday}

More funtime drama with Yumi and her dad, yay!

I tried to make things a bit easier for us by taking her out to a restaurant after visiting her dad. I'm not entirely sure why, but she seems to really take a comfort in me whenever I visit. Wait, what if...

Nah, she probably just doesn't have anyone to latch onto emotionally and is using me as a substitute.

=How clinical of you.=

I walked her back to her house and gave her a hug before she went in (that's what you do in these situations, right?) That seemed to be enough to trigger another social link so that was good I guess.

-(-)-

I managed to find Uncle home tonight so we sat down and tried to make small talk.

"So... Got a girlfriend yet?" Uncle asked.

I resisted the urge to palm my forehead. "I thought we agreed no attempts at pseudo-parenthood."

"Hey, hold on!" He said raising his hands for emphasis. "This isn't that. This is one guy asking another guy how things are going. So? Still playing the field or has some pretty thing caught your eye?"

I'd argue his point but... I just don't have the energy to do it again. "Kind of."

"'Kind of'?"

"I want to. She wants to. There's just... things she has to figure out first." I explained vaguely.

"Ah. Other guy?"

I snorted. "No."

"Other girl?"

"What?! That's ridiculous!" I answered laughing.

=We really have to do something about how you fail at lying at random times.=

"So it _is_ another girl? You lucky dog!" Uncle laughed, leaning back in his chair.

"It's not-!" I tried but gave it up as a bad job. "Look, please don't say anything. I don't know who knows what and I feel like I might be breaking confidences here-"

"I get it, I get it. Don't worry. I don't even know who these girls are and even if I did I wouldn't say anything. I'm a cop, remember? You can't even guess how many peoples' deep, dark secrets I know that I'll never talk about. You can trust me, Seta."

"... Thanks."

**SMASH!**

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Hierophant Arcana._

-(-)-

A/N: Well there. Another chapter. Held up by me utterly failing to write my version of Dojima but it's out now. That's what matters. Camping trip is next.

In other news! Me and a few other writers (and an editor) have started a podcast for some unknowable reason! It is called the Fandom Flux Podcast and you can find the link to it on my profile. There's some advice for writers in there, we talk about tropes for a bit, I tell a couple of my more embarrassing stories for cheap laughs, it's great! Go listen to it.

As always, thanks for reading.


	41. A Camping We Will Go

6/17/11

-(-)-

"You've packed your sunscreen, right?"

"Yes."

"And you made sure to pack spare clothes?"

"_Yes_, I'm going to miss the bus if you keep-"

"And you'll promise to write every day?"

I chuckled as I knelt down to meet Nanako's eyes. "Look, I'm going away on a weekend trip, not a three-month sabbatical." I gave her a quick hug. "I'll be back before you know it." I stood back up, barely, my supplies weighing on my shoulders so much that I stooped at almost a ninety-degree angle. Dojima put out a hand which I quickly shook away. "I got it." I choked out, not wanting to have to explain to my uncle about a certain unscheduled passenger that I wouldn't trust alone if lives depended on it. Specifically miniature plastic lives that I didn't want to have to reassemble for the twentieth time.

Dojima extended his hand again, this time to shake. I replied, gripping firmly into the thick, calloused pad of my uncle's palm. "Y'know, I remember when I went on this trip." He recalled as he walked me to the door. His expression hardened for the briefest of moments before calming. "Good luck." He muttered, and he closed the door.

(-)

The bus leaped and shook as it turned off the asphalt lanes of Inaba and headed into the woods that surrounded the town. I glanced over to where Kanji was sitting, his face turning greener by the second. "So, what exactly are we doing?" I asked Yosuke, turning to face my tent mate for the weekend.

He shrugged. "Dunno the teachers have always been good at keeping the whole thing under wraps. Not even the upperclassmen will say anything about it. They just get this murky look in their eyes and shiver before ignoring us."

"I heard that it's mostly a bunch of community service." Chie said, her face barely above the seat in front of us like a setting sun on a horizon of faux leather. "Apparently, most of today is going to be spent picking up trash around the lake up near the mountains."

Yosuke groaned. "Are you serious?!" He sighed, deflating in his seat, mumbling incomprehensibly about "foiled plans" or something. I shrugged, I didn't really feel disappointed about that, I kind of expected this trip to suck in at least one way or another. I grinned to myself as I leaned back in my seat, not to mention, I've got a few friends who'll make this trash thing a breeze. Kanji used this lull in our conversation to vomit out the window.

(-)

"Not cool, dude."

"It's not my fault I thought of it before anyone else did." I said as I carried ten trash bags, all nearly bursting with litter, to the dumpsite. Thank you Tarukaja. "Besides," I continued. "Our group finished first. So now we have plenty of time for dinner." He perked up at the mention of a meal, his hands rubbing together in anticipation.

"That's right." He said. "And the girls agreed to be the ones to cook for us tonight, so we don't have to worry about a thing."

"Except maybe the possibility that they'll be terrible cooks." I added dryly. "Now quit making excuses to not work, I think I saw a bike rusting somewhere near the bank." I said, ignoring his grumbling.

"Who the hell goes through the trouble of dumping a bike in the mountains?" He asked as he stumbled off in the direction I pointed him to. "They must be really determined to hate the environment so much that they just walk up here and say, 'Gee, this looks like a good spot to set this down and never pick it back up again.' And they _do_." He added, gesturing for me to help him pull it out. "No wonder they send us out here to pick up after them. We're the only ones who care." I tuned out Yosuke's economic ramblings as I picked the bike from its mud-caked prison with ease. As I lugged it over my shoulder, I heard a girlish sort of cry.

"You think you could maybe put the bike down now?" Yosuke asked, dangling from the frame like a Christmas ornament.

(-)

"Is something wrong with Chie?"

I gave Yosuke a lazy sort of glance, desperately trying and hoping that I was keeping a cool demeanor. "What do you mean?" I asked, hiding the fact that I had also noticed a few differences in the girl's mannerisms. Yosuke gestured vaguely. "Well, I mean, look. Whenever Yukiko moves around the pot, Chie takes a few steps away. It's like she thinks she'll catch the black plague if she even brushes up against her."

That's all he's noticed? I guess he isn't watching as closely as I am. It seems pretty obvious to me how Chie made sure to signal herself out whenever they needed another ingredient, most likely to ensure that she wouldn't accidentally brush up against the other girl's hand if they both tried to grab for it. There were also a few minor things, like how here pupils would dilate slightly whenever Yukiko spoke, but I couldn't confirm whether that was on behalf of Yukiko or not because I always found myself looking into her eyes for far longer than I should.

=You're a creepy bastard sometimes, you know that?=

The two lovebirds weren't the only thing I had pondered over. As I saw the girls pour yet another unknown condiment into the pot. I felt a sort of voice start screaming in my head, I thought it was another Persona for a while until I realized it was the little food critic inside me screaming at the top of its lungs. Yosuke leaned over to me. "Is, uh, is steam supposed to be purple?" he whispered, his voice trembling. I looked back to the 'kitchen,' Chie was muttering something to Yukiko, her shoulders shrugged before slumping in defeat. I swallowed involuntarily. The two girls looked back to us and smiled weakly before turning off the stove and bringing the pot to the table. The substance (I refuse to call it food) went _gloop_ as it settled.

"D-dinner's ready, heh." Chie said as she took a ladle and poured a hearty amount onto both of our plates with a wet smack.

=I think I saw two of the ingredients fight for dominance.=

-Oh good, I thought that was just me.-

Yukiko and Chie looked to us expectantly, oh God, they want us to eat this. I tried to subtly motion for Yosuke to fake eating it as best he could, but I couldn't get to him fast enough, the poor fool. He took a spoonful of the stuff and smiled. "Bottoms up!" He took a bite, vomited, and passed out instantly.

Oh god, I think they killed him.

There was a pause as we stared at Yosuke's lifeless body, a faint line of discolored liquid trailed from his lips. Yukiko sat down hard in shock, the pot tumbling from her hands. I noticed the substance didn't spill out of it, even as it rolled onto its side. Chie fumbled with her hands. "Er…w-was it really that bad?" She asked, looking to me. She's looking at me! What do I say? _What do I say?_

"No!" _I didn't have to say that! _"I'm sure he's just being melodramatic!" Someone. "You know how Yosuke is sometimes, he's _such _a kidder, right Yo-oh yeah, uh, you can answer later." Anyone. "You just need a second opinion, that's all." Stop me, _please_, before I say something I regret. "Here, _I'll _give it a shot." Too late. I heard a thin scraping sound like a spoon against a plate-oh, wait, that is a spoon against a plate, mine, specifically. I brought it up to my face, I sniffed at it, horrified at discovering that it had absolutely no odor.

I remember brining the spoon to my lips, I remember something making contact with my tongue, and then I don't remember anything at all.

(-)

"Oh, my stomach."

"Shut up, dude, I'm hungry too. So don't give me any lip."

"What are you guys complaining about? I don't feel anything at all."

I'll admit, the death glare we shot Teddie might have been a little potent, but I couldn't concentrate, I was just so freaking hungry. Everything going on in my head was orientated around food, such good food. It was dancing, so close and yet, just far enough that I couldn't grasp it. I think it might have been singing at me as well, the cheeky taunting bastards.

"Dude, stop humming, you're kinda starting to scare me." My eyes refocused as I looked up to Yosuke, I massaged my temples. "Sorry, I think I might've hamburger- I mean, hallucinated." My stomach growled, and Yosuke's met it in perfect harmony. After the two of us had woken back up, we had asked, nay demanded, to know what exactly Chie and Yukiko had put into what Yosuke had dubbed, Mystery Food X. After about five minutes of ingredients, we ran to the bushes and vomited again. We collected ourselves again, and then buried the lot, pot and all, about six feet into the ground. No one must know of its existence, lest it be used for eldritch purposes of unspeakable evil.

=Mate, I think the hunger isn't the only thing that's getting to you. Didn't they mention a couple different mushroom species at one point?=

I choked back bile. –Don't remind me.-

Teddie shrugged, I think. Again, it's hard to tell what his body language is trying to say. "Cheer up guys! The sooner you go to sleep tonight, the sooner you can have a big breakfast in the morning, right?"

Yosuke nodded. "'Bear's got a point, let's get some sleep. 'Night partner." I said goodnight to both of them and dimmed the lamp, only to immediately turn it back up.

"Alright, who else heard that noise?" I asked, sitting up in defense.

"That's not funny, dude," Yosuke shot back. "You know how I get when people mess around like that." I motioned for him to shut up as I searched in my duffel bag. Just as I saw the glint of a sheath, I heard it again, a thick crunch from outside of the tent, Yosuke stiffened. "Okay, so maybe you aren't playing around." He gripped Teddie. "How good are you're diplomacy skills?" He squeaked at the bear. "'Cause I think a few of your friends might want to meet the new neighbors."

_Thunk! _"OW, son of a bitch! Stupid tent pegs!"

"Kanji," I sighed, loud enough for him to hear me. "Get in here before Yosuke finishes pissing himself in fear." The tent unzipped above the noise of Yosuke's complaints as Kanji's bleached-platinum head popped in through the opening.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he shouldered his way into the tent, positioning himself as best he could between us. Yosuke was still tense.

"What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?" I demanded.

Kanji shrugged. "Dunno, just felt like it." His voice came out odd. It was muffled and dry, like he was trying to talk around something.

...

...

"…Kanji, what are you eating?"

"Uh, animal crackers, why?"

"Yosuke hold him down, I'll search his coat."

Kanji tried to shove him off and probably would have managed it, considering the size difference, (some kids get all the luck). But Yosuke was determined. Absorbing the younger teens thrusts and shoves while I dug inside his clothes.

That sounded much less gay in my head, let me tell you.

=Oh, I'm sure it did.=

Finally, my hands grasped at something thin and flimsy, with a cry of victory I pulled out a small carton of animal crackers. And then felt a shove as Kanji pushed into my back.

I'm not really helping the not gay thing, am I?

Never mind. The box fell out of my fingers, soaring through the air. "Someone catch it!" I shouted. Teddie leapt to action, standing before the airborne cookies, he unzipped his head, the box flew into the gaping opening with a snap as his head connected back with his torso. I pumped my fist in the air. "All right! Now let's have a look at it."

Teddie paused, the triumph deflating from his stance. "Uh, you wanted it back?" He asked sheepishly. "Sorry, heh, my heads kind of a one way sort of deal."

That's. It.

"Hey, wait, where're you going?" I didn't even look back to Yosuke as I stormed out of the tent into the night. "I don't know, and I don't care." I replied. "I just know I need to get out of here before that bear is mounted on top of my mantel." And I stalked off into the woods.

(-)

It's funny how I always seem to be the one who gets into these kinds of predicaments.

I pondered on this notion as I hung from a tree branch like a bat, my now bladed feet jammed three inches deep into the wooden branch I dangled from. Note to self, if you're going to avoid the teachers on night watch using a power-enhanced jump along with feet made out of swords for added traction. Make sure you don't use too much strength, lest you end up looking like a piñata with an identity crisis.

The footsteps were getting closer now. Dammit, I think I might have tipped them off after I disturbed that hornet's nest and sent that bird with the oddly girlish screams flying. It was a bird that made those noises, not me. Honest.

The sound of twigs cracking underfoot stopped just below me, crap, I've been found. How the hell am I supposed to explain this? Wait, that silhouette looks familiar…

"Chie! Hey! Small world, am I right?"

Chie looked left, then right before finally glancing up, taking a step backwards in shock. "Oh my god, Seta! What the hell are you _doing_ up there?!"

There are certain conventions that cannot be avoided when comedy is at stake, which is why the first thing that left my mouth was the tried and true. "Oh, y'know…just hanging around."

Chie sighed and placed her hands at her hips. "Just for that, I don't think I'll help you down from there."

My body swung as I called out to her. "H-hey, wait! Can't you take a joke?"

She laughed. "Yep, and this one's pretty funny right now."

=Oooh, I think that stung more than any of the wasps.=

"Look, I don't think observations on my sense of humor are what is needed right now." I swung again, something cracked above me, and my body hung for a few seconds before it went tumbling to the ground below with a THUD that sent most of the nocturnal wildlife running.

"OW! Dammit, that hurt!"

"Oh, I'm _fine_, _thanks_ for asking."

Chie shoved me off of her body and stood up, dusting herself as I rose with a groan. "Anyway, what are you doing out here? It's the middle of the night."

Chie shrugged, "I just felt like it, is all. I just wanted a little time to myself with my thoughts." I took the hint and left it at that.

"So, are you enjoying the camping trip so far?" I asked, changing the subject about as smoothly as a quadriplegic going from first to third.

Chie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, totally, nothing screams 'fun' like making my friends vomit and pass out,"

I smiled. "Hey, you'll get better, and if not, at least we'll get a new weapon against the shadows-OW! Sheesh, I think I need to switch trainers…" I mumbled, rubbing at the spot Chie had punched.

She giggled. "Oh boo-hoo, Seta got punched; worse things have happened to you, I'm sure. Like that time you got charmed by that one Shadow and kept telling Yosuke you needed his-"

"L-let's not go any further." I said, god, I'd forgotten about that, Yosuke still looks at me kind of sideways. I sighed. "Great, my first date and I'm already getting insulted."

Chie cocked her head to the side. "Oh, so this is a date now, is it?"

I shrugged. "I mean, what else do you call a boyfriend and girlfriend enjoying each other's company alone?"

"I was just expecting our first date to be a little more planned." she groused, half seriously.

I couldn't resist. "So you don't like it when I just drop in?"

She groaned and cupped her hands over her face. "Seta, if you say one more stupid joke, I'll put you right back in that tree."

I put my hands up in defense. "Fine, fine, I have a better idea anyway." I put my hand out for her to take. "While I was up there, I saw something you need to see, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it." I added as we jogged through a clearing. "It's…I'll just keep it a surprise until we get there, now come on."

(-)

The precipice jutted out from the mountain as it gazed into the dark pools of the lake below, looming as if it watched over the area as its solitary guardian. I lead Chie out from the woods, my hands clamped over her eyes as we walked in sync to the edge. "Oookay we're here." I said, pulling my hands away.

Chie paused, looking left and right. "I don't really understand, Seta, my group was the one on duty for the lake, I've seen it plenty of times before." I nodded, and pointed up, her eyes followed. "…Oh…" She whispered, finally understanding why I'd brought her to the lake.

The stars, they practically coated the sky like snow, each one a twinkling, unique ball of light, illuminating the heavens from all across space. "Nearly every place my parents shipped me to was a city." I finally said, unable to take my eyes away from Chie's bright, hazel colored ones as they gazed longingly up above. "So pollution was always there, in some areas I couldn't even see the moon sometimes. But here, in Inaba it's all there, for all of us to see." I looked back up to the sky. "I remember when I was young I'd wanted to be an astronaut." I added after a pause. "That dream kind of faded after a while." I felt something warm embrace me and I looked down.

"Why?" Chie breathed, her face a mere breadth from my own.

"Turns out Jedi aren't real." I answered.

She paused, and brought me in for a kiss. And when she broke it off, I heard her mumble. "Sheesh, you can be such a dork sometimes."

I chuckled. "I'm glad you're okay wit that."

And I kissed her back.

-(-)-

A/N: … I really shouldn't be labelling this as an author's note. Oh, well.

Turns out my complete inability to spend five minutes uploading this chapter is the reason it didn't come out weeks ago. I am a nob. It needed to be said. My intention was to get a chapter done for one of my other stories and upload both at the same time but I got writer's blocked. Yayyyyy. I have two chapters literally 500 words away from 'done' and writing even _ten_ is like pulling teeth.

… You don't care. That's fine. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review because Sgt Baker is desperate for feedback.

Oh, and something I really should plug. I started a podcast recently. Called the Fandom Flux. We talk about stuff, most often writing and storytelling techniques especially about fanfiction. You may recognise KingofZeroX (writer of M1N470 and Celestial Suicide Mage) as one of the regulars. And any Naruto fanfiction readers should definitely know the name Kenchi618 as another. It's good fun. Give us a listen. Link is on my profile page.

Thanks for reading.


End file.
